Lien Khuong to become 5-million-passenger international airport by 2030

The Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has recently filed a report to the Ministry of Transport (MoT) on authorising the modification of Lien Khuong Airport's planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a view to 2050.

The location and purpose of Lien Khuong Airport within the national civil network are consistent with an international airport and it serves both civil and military purposes. This is one of the most crucial aspects of the report, as the State Administration of Aviation has proposed to align the planning of Lien Khuong Airport with the Master Plan for Airports System Development and national airports, which has been submitted to the prime minister and Lam Dong province by the MoT.

The overall land needed for Lien Khuong Airport between 2021 and 2030 is 340.8 hectares and will be expanded to 486.8ha by 2050.

Lien Khuong Airport. Photo: A.T.

By 2030, Lien Khuong Airport will have airport level 4E (according to the International Civil Aviation Organization's standard code) and military airport level I. It will cater for a capacity of five million passengers per year, 20,000 metric tonnes of cargo, and provide a minimum of 21 aircraft parking spaces.

The CAA advised the MoT to evaluate and collaborate with the Ministry of Defense to harmonise the demand for defence property use. In addition, the MoT immediately coordinated with Lam Dong People's Committee on the planning scale, organised alternatives, and requested that the locality build the transport system linking to and from Lien Khuong Airport into the provincial plan.

To the east of the present T1 passenger terminal, Lien Khuong Airport will construct a T2 passenger terminal with a capacity of three million passengers per year by 2030, then simultaneously operate T1 and T2 with a total passenger capacity of five million per year with land preservation funds for expansion.

When necessary, it will construct a shared airport terminal west of the current T1 terminal in the vicinity of the bridge. The airport will increase T2 passenger terminal capacity to five million passengers per year by 2050, operating both T1 and T2 simultaneously with a total passenger capacity of seven million per year.

There is a reserve of land funds to extend Terminal T2 to a capacity of 10 million passengers per year and a study will be conducted to expand or reconstruct Terminal T1 on the current land with a capacity of five million passengers per year. The combined maximum total of the two terminals could reach 15 million per year.

Also by 2030, Lien Khuong Airport will construct a freight terminal on an area of about 23,300 square metres with a minimum annual capacity of 20,000 tonnes of cargo. There are undeveloped land reserves that will serve A320, A321, B747, B787, A350, and comparable aircraft types.

For 2050, it will continue to utilise the same aircraft types and their equivalents.

Regarding the runway system, Lien Khuong Airport will repair and enhance the current 3,250m by 45m runway with a minimum side width of 7.5m by 2030. The objective for 2050 is to expand the current runway to the west by 350m to make a total of 3,600m by 45m and a material buffer of at least 7.5m on each side.

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