Van Don International Airport named as Asia’s Leading New Airport 2019

Van Don International Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh has been named “Asia’s Leading New Airport 2019” at the World Travel Awards Asia & Oceania (WTA). (Photo: zing.vn)

Glowing with pride, Director of Van Don International Airport Pham Ngoc Sau said that the ward affirms prestige, position and high-quality services of the airport, while serving as motivation for the staff to continue improving services and bringing customers the best airport experience.

Van Don International Airport was developed to the tune of 7.463 trillion VND (323 million USD) in total investment by Sun Group. Construction on the airport started in 2015 on 288 hectares in Doan Ket commune, Van Don district. It is the first airport in Vietnam to operate under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model.

The airport was designed in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) 4E standards. Sun Group developed Van Don International Airport with state of the art and modern equipment and technologies, all imported from the world's leading brands, to ensure passengers have a world-class experience.

Equipped with seven aircraft parking lots, the airport is capable of operating large aircraft including Boeing 787 and 777 models.

The aesthetic design of Van Don International Airport Terminal was inspired by the wonderful natural beauty of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Ha Long Bay. Shaped like a sailing boat under a red orange domed roof, the airport takes its design cues from local cultures and architectural traditions. Inside the terminal, the interior also celebrates the natural beauty of Ha Long Bay with a striking visual décor and provides travellers with ample green spaces.

The airport’s terminal is designed to have annual capacity of 2-2.5 million passengers in the first phase, and is expected to increase to five million by 2030. The airport is set to receive 500,000 passenger arrivals/departures in the first year of operation.

A cargo terminal is expected to be built by 2030 with a capacity of at least 51,000 tonnes.

On July 11, the 330-million-USD airport received the first aircraft landing on its runway as a test flight.

The airport has been connected to Ho Chi Minh City in the south, the Republic of Korea’s Seoul, and China’s Hunan and Shenzhen. In the coming time, more flights will be operated between Van Don and China’s Hainan, Kunming, Nanning, Zhengzhou and Guangzhou, Japan and Thailand. Meanwhile, the domestic market is scheduled for expansion with flights from Da Nang and Phu Quoc to be added by the end of the year.

Thanks to Van Don International Airport, more and more domestic and international tourists are now discovering that when going to Quang Ninh “one journey leads to thousands of destinations”. From the airport, there are free shuttle buses for guests to go to Ha Long city, and easily access other popular destinations in Quang Ninh such as Yen Tu mountain pagoda, Tuan Chau island, Quan Lan island, Tra Co (Mong Cai) thanks to the major modern highways and improved transportation links.

As of September 10, Van Don International Airport hosted a total of 1,364 flights transporting nearly 183,000 domestic and foreign passengers, and 604,000 tonnes of cargo.

As Van Don district is among the three special economic zones planned in Vietnam, the airport is expected to boost the local economy, including tourism at Ha Long Bay. The airport is located roughly 50km northeast of the world heritage site. Last month, the South China Morning Post based in Hong Kong listed the site as one of the most popular attractions in Asia. Ha Long Bay came fifth among the top most renowned Asian gems, which was topped by the Great Wall of China.