Vietnam improves domestic airports

Buon Ma Thuot Airport opened a new passenger terminal, last Saturday, in the central highlands province of Daklak after nearly two years of construction.

It is just one of many airport projects on-going in the country to upgrade transport facilities and tourism infrastructure.

Southern Airports Corporations built the two-floor terminal that will increase capacity from 100 to 120 passengers an hour to 400 or around one million passengers a year.

SAC general director, Nguyen Nguyen Hung, told Saigon Times that the terminal cost VND221 billion (over US$10.5 million) and includes restaurants and tourism related services such as information desks, tours and transport facilities.

The airport serves just domestic travel — eight daily flights operated by Vietnam Airlines and Air Mekong from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Danang and Vinh.

Buon Ma Thuot Airport was opened in 1972 to military flights, but upgraded in 1977 for civil services. From 2003 to 2004, SAC invested VND100 billion (US$4.76 million) to extend the runway to 3,000 metres long and 45 metres wide and upgraded the lighting system for night time landings. The runway is long enough for Airbus A320s, A321s and Boeing B737s.

The airport handled 3,920 flights and nearly 262,500 passengers in 2010, up 42.33% and 28.65% respectively compared to 2009. This year it should exceed 420,000 passengers.

Buon Ma Thuot is the largest in Vietnam’s central highlands region famous for its coffee.

Source - ttrweekly