The growth of Chu Lai airport

(QNO) - Bringing its potentials and strategic location into play, Chu Lai airport (Quang Nam province) has recently attracted many large investors.

Ho Chi Minh City - Chu Lai Jetstar route started in 2015

According to Mr. Do Xuan Dien, Head of Chu Lai Open Economic Zone, the signing ceremony of the Chu Lai airport upgrade project will take place between Quang Nam provincial People’s Committee and Vietjet in this late March on the occasion of the Quang Nam Investment Promotion Conference.

The action is expected to lead Chu Lai airport to a new development stage, creating momentum for Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces to “take off”. It is also bringing Quang Nam nearer to the goal of building an aviation logistics center in Chu Lai.

Chu Lai is considered as one of the airports with a lot of potentials and advantages such as a large store of land that is in the center of central Vietnam and between the two largest economic zones of the country. Therefore, Vietjet desires to become a strategic investor in this important project. They want to cooperate with Quang Nam to turn Chu Lai Airport into an international cargo transshipment airport, to build a regional and international center for aircrafts repairs, maintenance and overhaul, a logistics center of South Central Vietnam.

Accordingly, the project of Chu Lai airport will be carried out in three phases. In the first phase, the runways will be upgraded and expanded to 3,250m long and 65m wide. A new passenger terminal with a capacity of about 2 million people a year and a cargo terminal that can meet the needs of two large freight companies will be put into operation by 2020.

Reportedly, the number of passengers using Chu Lai airport increased sharply, from 44,000 in 2014 to 550,000 in 2016. It is a good signal for this airport to be continuously invested and motivated.

The expansion projects of the passenger terminal and the car park with a capacity of about one million passengers a year start in 2017. Nearly VND 200 billion will be invested in them. In addition, the airport will be equipped with comprehensive facilities and the accurate landing system to minimize the airport change by bad weather.

According to another project, Chu Lai airport can be developed into an international airport of 4F standard by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) with a capacity of 1 million tons of cargo a year by 2020. Expectedly, it will be developed into a cargo hub with a capacity of 5 million tons of cargo and 4.1 million passengers a year by 2025.

Chairman of Quang Nam people’s committee claimed that the upgrading and expanding of Chu Lai airport will facilitate Quang Nam and Quang Ngai to attract investors. The big investment projects into Chu Lai airport have been put into operation effectively.

By ipaquangnam.gov.vn