Ministry proposes adding Mang Đen and Vân Phong airports to Vietnam’s national aviation plan (2021–2030, with a vision to 2050)

The Ministry of Construction has submitted to the Prime Minister a draft outline to adjust the aviation system master plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, in which it proposes adding new airports. According to the Ministry, the main objective of this adjustment is to study adding Mang Den and Van Phong airports to the national system, upgrading Quang Tri Airport from class 4C to 4E. To realize this objective, the adjustment will cover several specialized aspects, such as evaluating natural and socio-economic conditions, studying technical factors for site selection, assessing airspace management capabilities, designing flight methods, forecasting transport demand, and guiding land use for airport development. In terms of implementation, the adjustment plan is expected to take only about three months from the approval of the outline to the submission to the Prime Minister. The Ministry of Construction, as the agency organizing the adjustment, will be allowed to adjust content and tasks locally to ensure quality and progress. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam’s (CAAV) report to the Ministry of Construction, compared with the nationwide aviation plan approved in 2023, there are new factors such as changes in development directions and proposals from many localities to build new airports, expand airports, or convert military airports into dual-use airports to serve the economy and defense. Currently, ministries and localities are adjusting national, regional, and provincial plans to broaden development space and improve transport connectivity. CAAV assesses that these macro factors could significantly alter transport demand, scale, and capacity of airports compared with the original design. Therefore, reviewing and adjusting now is urgent and fully consistent with the 2025 Planning Law as well as the five-year review cycle stipulated in Prime Minister’s Decision 648/2023. Many localities propose building new airports, expanding airports, or converting military airports to dual-use to support economic and defense needs. Based on legal and practical grounds, CAAV recommends the Ministry of Construction to consider and present to the Prime Minister the approval of the adjustment policy in 2027-2028 to evaluate results and ensure system coherence. After approval, the outline will be prepared this year as a basis for budget allocations for 2027-2028. According to the adjustment dossier for the national master plan for the development of the aviation system and airports for the period 2021-2030 with a vision to 2050 as of late November 2025, CAAV proposes that by 2030 the country will have 33 airports with a capacity of 297 million passengers; by 2050, 36 airports, serving nearly 540 million passengers annually. The capital required to develop the aviation system until 2030 is estimated at nearly 500,000 billion VND from the state budget, off-budget funds, and other legal sources. The piece is authored by Lộc Liên. Source: Tiền Phong.