Traffic jams often occur on streets leading to Tan Son Nhat airport in HCM City. The city plans to expand the airport to both the south and north. (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The has agreedwith the Ministry of National Defence to expand Tan Son Nhat InternationalAirport in Ho Chi Minh City to both the south and north where a 157-ha golfcourse is located.
Speaking at a recent meeting with HCM Cityadministration, The said: “The airport will be expanded by 210 hectares to thenorth of the airport for support facilities and 70-80 hectares to the south fora new passenger terminal.”
Nguyen Thien Tong, former head of aviationengineering of the HCM City Polytechnic University, said the proposal to expandthe airport in both directions, instead of only the south, would be beneficialas the current airport is seriously overloaded.
He said this would also increase the airport’scapacity to 60 million passengers a year.
A representative from the city’s TransportDepartment, who declined to be named, said the expanded area of 210ha to thenorth would replace the existing golf course. “The proposal, however, must needapproval from authorities,” he noted.
The said that the Central Military Commissionwould give comments on the expansion of the country’s busiest airport.
He said Tan Son Nhat would remain the mainairport hub even after Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai province isput into operation.
The expansion plan proposed by theFrench ADP-I Consulting Company was approved by Prime Minister NguyenXuan Phuc.
“The Transport Ministry will work with the Ministryof National Defence to expand roads to reduce congestion at the airport area,”he said.
In addition, The has asked agencies to ensurebetter connection between Tan Son Nhat and Long Thanh airport by roads,elevated roads and underground roads. The Truong Son road in the souththat leads to the airport is now overloaded.
The also emphasised the importance of connectionbetween HCM City and neighbouring provinces.
Nguyen Thanh Phong, Chairman of the HCM CityPeople’s Committee, has urged the Transport Department to resolve congestion atthe airport area by expanding roads nearby.
He also proposed that the Ministry of Transportask the Airports Corporation of Vietnam to build a separate lane for busesrunning inside Tan Son Nhat airport, and to order the Civil Aviation Authorityof Vietnam to adjust the landing and takeoff time during the busy season.
At the end of March, the PM agreed to a proposalfrom ADP-I consultants to expand Tan Son Nhat airport to the south.
Under the adjusted plan, a new passengerterminal in the southern area of the airport would accommodate 20 millionpassengers per year, and by 2025 the airport would have capacity of up to 50million passengers per year.
In addition, cargo terminals, aircraft parkingand technical maintenance areas will be built in the northern area of theairport.
It remains a controversial issue of whether ornot the existing golf court should be removed to make way for the airportexpansion, according to local media.
The Tan Son Nhat International Airport, thecountry’s busiest airport located in HCM City’s Tan Binh district, has becomeseriously overloaded, forcing many flights to wait in the air to land.
The airport has a design capacity of 25 millionpassengers, but the passenger throughput in 2016 was 32 million and in 2017over 36 million.
Vietnam is also planning to build the Long ThanhInternational Airport in the neighbouring province of Dong Nai to handle 60-70million passengers per year. It is expected to reduce overcrowding at Tan SonNhat airport.
However, the airport will not be completed until2025 or possibly even later, which experts have attributed to a lack of capitaland slow compensation progress.
Phong said that many approved traffic infrastructureprojects in the city had been delayed, mostly due to lack of funds.
The ring roads must be completed quickly, hesaid, adding the North-South high-speed railway construction should beconnected with the high-speed railway of HCM City – Can Tho.
Speaking at the event, Bui Xuan Cuong, Directorof the city’s Department of Transport, asked for support from the Ministry ofTransport to implement National Highways 1A, 1K, 13, 22, and 50.
He also urged the ministry to allocate funds forexpressway projects that connect the city and southern provinces, including HCMCity-Moc Bai expressway and HCM City- Chon Thanh, among others.-VNS/VNA
VNA
