Deputy Prime Minister instructs study on upgrading Dien Bien airport

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The Government’s Office has just released a document on the Deputy PM’s instructions on the implementation of a project on upgrading the Dien Bien airport in accordance with approved planning. 

According to the Prime Minister-approved development plan for aviation transport to 2020 with a vision to 2030, the upgrade of Dien Bien airport will be considered and carried out from now to 2020, in order to remove a bottleneck in transport and allow the mountainous province of Dien Bien to attract investment and better tap its advantages and potential, particularly in tourism. 

Under Decision 2501 of the Transport Ministry, Dien Bien airport is envisioned to have an annual capacity of 300,000 passengers and 500 tonnes of cargo by 2020. Its capacity will be raised to 2 million passengers and 10,000 tonnes of cargo by 2030.  

In the period from now to 2020, the airport will serve flights between Dien Bien and Noi Bai airport in Hanoi and Cat Bi airport in the northern city of Hai Phong. 

By 2030, two more routes will be open to connect Dien Bien with the central city of Da Nang and Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City. 

After 2030, it might be upgraded further into an international airport with services to Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand.