Vietnam Airlines plans to spend big on Long Thanh International Airport

Vietnam Airlines Chairman Dang Ngoc Hoa said that, in its development strategy for 2021-2030, the corporation and its member units will set aside resources to participate in the building and operation of infrastructure at Long Thanh airport, providing full services in air transport for itself and other carriers.

Services include providing aviation fuel, ground technical services, meals, cargo terminal services, aviation logistics, waiting room services, and duty-free sales, which it has already been providing at many major airports via subsidiaries or affiliates.

Hoa said that 30% of the total investment in these services at the Long Thanh airport will come from Vietnam Airlines, with the remainder from loans.

The corporation and its members will directly invest in infrastructure construction or cooperate with the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) to set up joint stock or limited liability companies to carry out the work.

Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) Dinh Viet Thang said the proposal is reasonable since the services suggested are associated with transport services.

He noted, however, that the corporation will have to participate in the tender process.

The first phase of Long Thanh International Airport, from 2020 to 2025, will receive over VND109 trillion (US$4.66 billion) in investment and will feature one runway, one passenger terminal, and associated facilities capable of catering to 25 million passengers and handling 1.2 million tonnes of cargo annually.