In a meeting early this week, Deputy Chairman of theprovincial People's Committee Nguyen Van Thanh said the constructionwork of the project will commence on March 27.
Earlier, acollaborative venture of the Korea Airport Corporation, Joinus VietnamJoint Stock Company and Posco E&C Joint Stock Company wereconsidered as the potential investor of the project.
The airportwill be built on 248.6ha in Van Don District's Economic Zone, with anestimated investment capital of 7.49 trillion VND (351.8 million USD),including the costs for site clearance.
Upon its completion, theairport will be able to handle more than six million passengersannually, and have a 3.8km-long runway to accommodate large aircraftsuch as Boeing 747s. By 2026, the second runway will be built to allowthe operation of the Airbus A380.
Thanh said the airport projectwill be a key one for the development of the Van Don Economic Zone,helping attract investors to the island.
The zone has been givenpriority in the country's development agenda. It includes a casinoproject with an estimated investment of between 4 billion USD and 5billion USD that is scheduled to open in 2019.
As one of the keyprojects in Van Don Economic Zone, Van Don International Airport isexpected to help boost tourism in Ha Long Bay and Van Don Island.-VNA