Vietnam to Upgrade Airports in Mekong Delta

Vietnam to Upgrade Airports in Mekong Delta

Several airports in the Mekong Delta, including Tra Noc and Phu Quoc, are to be upgraded to international standards in order to boost development in the region, a conference held on February 14-16 in Can Tho city was told.

The two-day conference chaired by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai singled out the Tra Noc Airport in Can Tho City to play an important role in the region.

The upgrade of the airport will be carried out in two phases from now to 2010 with total investment capital of VND2 trillion (US$127.38 million), according to the Ministry of Transport.

The project will include the construction of new terminals and runways so that the airport would be able to receive long-range aircraft like B767s and A300s.

The airport on Phu Quoc Island, which is regarded as a tourist hub of the southern region, will also be upgraded to serve both domestic and international flights.

Specifically, a new airport will be built on a 1,450-hectare site to replace the current airport with investment capital of VND2 trillion (US$127.38 million) in the first three-year phase starting in 2007.

Other regional airports including Rach Gia and Ca Mau will be upgraded to handle international flights.

The master plan for regional communications development also includes building four main roads linking the Mekong Delta region with southeastern provinces and two expressways to Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province.

In addition, the State will also invest some VND2.5 trillion (US$159.2 million) in building and upgrading 25 river and sea ports in the region by 2010. The port complex in Can Tho city alone will be able to handle 6.7 million tonnes of cargo a year.

The Mekong Delta region, which comprises 13 provinces on an area of 39,712 sq.km with population of 17 million people, has a great transport potential, especially waterway transport.

The region has a 700-km coastline, 28,000-km canals and 40,932-km roads.
The People, Labour