The minister of construction has approved the adjusted planning for Gia Binh international airport for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. The airport, located in the communes of Gia Binh, Luong Tai, Nhan Thang, and Lam Thao (Bac Ninh), will be a 4E-level airport, serving both civil and national security and defense purposes.

By 2030, Gia Binh airport is planned to have a capacity of about 30 million passengers and 1.6 million tons of cargo annually, capable of handling large aircraft such as the B777, B787, A350, A321, as well as private and specialized aircraft. By 2050, the airport's capacity is expected to reach approximately 50 million passengers and 2.5 million tons of cargo annually.

The new plan increases Gia Binh airport's capacity by 5 to 6 times compared to the previous plan. The land area will be expanded to about 1,959 hectares, nearly 5 times the old plan. The estimated investment capital is 95,706 billion VND by 2030 and 82,923 billion VND by 2050.

Currently, the Hanoi capital region, with 9 provinces and cities and a population of about 21 million people, only has Noi Bai international airport with a capacity of 30 million passengers per year.

According to the Hanoi master plan approved by the government, Noi Bai airport will increase its capacity to 60 million passengers by 2030 and 100 million passengers by 2050, expanding southward. The second airport in the capital region is planned for the southern area (formerly in Ung Hoa and Phu Xuyen districts).

Rendering of the parking lot and runway of Gia Binh airport. (Source not provided)

Rendering of the parking lot and runway of Gia Binh airport. (Source not provided)

Gia Binh airport reduces the load on Noi Bai.

In 2024, Noi Bai airport reached 30.1 million passengers, including 12.3 million international and 17.7 million domestic passengers. It is expected to reach 33 million passengers in 2025, exceeding its design capacity of 30 million passengers per year.

According to Dr. Dao Ngoc Nghiem, vice president of the Vietnam urban planning and development association, Hanoi has discussed expanding Noi Bai multiple times, but has faced difficulties due to land clearance issues, with thousands of households needing to be relocated if a new terminal and runway are built in the south. The expansion project would take many years and incur significant costs for land clearance.

It is predicted that by 2030, the population of the capital region could reach 25-26 million people. While the plan to build a second airport south of Hanoi will be implemented after 2030, the development of Gia Binh airport is necessary to meet immediate needs.

"Bac Ninh has a large land fund and is not as urbanized as Hanoi, so building Gia Binh airport with a capacity of 30 million passengers by 2030 is reasonable, contributing to reducing the load on Noi Bai," Nghiem said.

According to the Airports design and consultancy company (ADCC), Noi Bai airport is overloaded and difficult to expand. The key economic region in the north is projected to have passenger demand reach 55 million in the 2021-2030 period and 85 million by 2050. Gia Binh airport will support Noi Bai – the capital's main international air gateway.

However, Gia Binh airport's airspace is near Noi Bai's controlled airspace, only 43 km away. With limited airspace capacity, increasing Gia Binh's capacity must be accompanied by a corresponding reduction in Noi Bai's capacity and a redistribution of traffic between the two airports.

Both ADCC and the Civil aviation administration of Vietnam agree to reduce Noi Bai's capacity to about 35 million passengers by 2030 and about 60 million passengers by 2050.

According to the Gia Binh international airport planning adjustment documents, the construction of this airport will not affect the plan to build a second airport south of the capital and will not change the sharing of passenger and cargo volume among airports.

Planned layout of Gia Binh airport. (Source not provided)

Planned layout of Gia Binh airport. (Source not provided)

Meeting passenger and logistics needs of the northeast region.

According to Dr. Dao Ngoc Nghiem, Bac Ninh is located in a region of strong industry, high technology, and urbanization, requiring a modern air gateway. Gia Binh airport will not only serve passengers in the Bac Ninh and Lang Son areas but also develop logistics, reducing dependence on Noi Bai.

Gia Binh airport will become the aviation hub of the northeast region, promoting infrastructure, urban, tourism, and trade development in Bac Ninh and neighboring provinces. The airport's location is convenient for connecting with the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway line and seaports in Hai Phong and Quang Ninh, creating favorable conditions for cargo transportation.

However, Nghiem noted the urgent need to build roads connecting the airport to Hanoi and neighboring provinces to avoid a situation of "having an airport but no roads."

ADCC stated that Gia Binh airport will be a new-generation smart airport, applying 4.0 technology, designed according to green standards, integrating a modern service ecosystem, creating a new milestone for the Vietnamese aviation industry.

The Gia Binh airport project was approved by the government in 9/2024 and construction began on the morning of 10/12/2024. The airport's initial purpose was to serve the people's public security air force (under the Mobile police command) for training flights and combat readiness on equipped helicopters.

Doan Loan