Vietnam to upgrade southern airport
14:44 04/03/2009

      Vietnam will pour almost VND6 trillion (over US$368 million) to upgrade an airport in the southern Mekong Delta so as it can receive international flights in late 2009.

Huynh Nhu Hiep, Vice General Director of the Southern Airports Authority, said the upgrade of the Can Tho Airport included two phases: from now to 2015, and between 2016 and 2025.

The airport would still act as a domestic airport, but would also serve a number of international flights to destinations in Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia.

After the first phase, which would require an investment of VND2.8 trillion ($178.3 million), the airport would be able to serve some 1 million passengers and 5,000 tons of goods every year.

The respective figures would be 2 million and 12,000 after the second phase, Hiep said.

Vietnam's aviation market is expected to grow 12-14 percent annually in the 2006-2010 period, 9-11 percent in the 2010-2015 period, and 10-12 percent in the 2015-2020 period, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam.

Vietnam's air industry served over 7.3 million passengers and 119,200 tons of cargoes in 2006, registering year-on-year rises of 15.5 percent and 14.4 percent respectively, according to the country's General Statistics Office.

Source: VNA

Source : thanhniennews.com