VietNamNet Bridge – The Civil Aviation Administration of Viet Nam has publicised the blueprint for the new Gia Lam Airport in Ha Noi, which will serve domestic flights.

The new airport, which will be built on the grounds of an old military airport in Gia Lam District, is located much closer to Ha Noi’s centre than the Noi Bai airport.

Flights from Na San Airport (in the northern mountainous province of Son La), Dien Bien Airport (in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien) and Vinh Airport (in the central province of Nghe An) as well as other flights, will be directed to Gia Lam Airport once it is operational, said chief of the Management Board for Airports (under the Civil Aviation Administration of Viet Nam), Vu Pham Nguyen Tung.

An overload of travellers passing through Noi Bai International Airport prompted the civil aviation sector to make plans for the Gia Lam Airport.

It is expected that a total investment of VND287 billion (US$17.3 million) is needed to build the new airport, which will have a 2km-long, 45m-wide runway suitable for planes such as ATR 72s, Fokkers and similar small aircraft.

The airport is the same size as the Na San and Dien Bien airports, and will not be able to receive large planes such as Airbus or Boeing aircraft.

Tung said the Gia Lam Airport was limited in size and could not include a longer runway to receive larger planes.

“An airport located in an urban area cannot be a large one, because it will cause negative impacts to the environment and traffic in the region,” said Tung.

According to the blueprint, the Gia Lam Airport will be used for both military and civil services. A parking area for planes that covers 13,720sq.m is scheduled to be completed by 2015, and expanded to 20,750sq.m by 2025. The airport will also have a car park that covers 1,325sq.m, which will be expanded to 2,000sq.m by 2025.

The terminal will include a departure and arrival area that can serve 270 passengers per hour during rush hours as well as a 1,500sq.m control station by 2015, with the station serving the airport until 2025, when it will be further expanded.

The airport will be linked with Nguyen Van Cu Road in Gia Lam District by a 100m-long, 15m-wide road that has four lanes.

By 2015, the airport will have a capacity to receive 162,000 passengers a year and house three ATR 72 or Fokker aeroplanes.

By 2025, the airport is planned to serve 270,000 passengers a year and house five ATR 72 or Fokker aeroplanes.

The Gia Lam Airport will be managed by the Northern Airport Administration.

(Source: Viet Nam News)