The Government targets to complete the investment procedures and start construction of the new terminal T3 at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in the third quarter of 2022.
A terminal of Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Photo: VNA)
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed the view in a visit to the airport on July 9.
In the past years, Tan Son Nhat Airport has been struggling with the rising number of passengers, which is estimated to be more than double its current capacity.
The situation leads to frequent overload and traffic congestion at the airport.
In 2020, the Government issued a decision to expand the airport’s capacity by constructing a new terminal.
Under the plan, the investment capital is estimated at VND11 trillion (US$470 million) for a capacity of 20 million passengers per year, with the state-owned Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) as an investor. The construction period of the new terminal would be around 37 months.
To date, the preparation process has been completed, including the drafting of a feasibility study, technical design, financial estimate, and the removal of unexploded ordinance, but problems still remained including the delay of the site clearance and the adjustment of the land use planning.
At the airport, Prime Minister Chinh urged local authorities to focus on addressing the remaining issues and fully resolving the congestion at Tan Son Nhat Airport.
According to Chinh, the expansion of the airport is necessary to avoid public frustration, especially as socio-economic activities have intensified in the post-pandemic period.
Chinh assigned Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh to be in charge of the project implementation, with the Ministry of Transport serving as the coordinator.
The Ministry of National Defence is responsible for handing over the clear site to contractors in July; the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee is tasked with finalizing the planning process for the airport and surrounding areas.
“All administrative procedures should be accelerated for the national interest and the benefit of the people,” Chinh said, calling for authorities to ensure no corruption or irregularities during the construction process.
Hai Yen