Why does Gia Binh airport need to increase its capacity to 50 million passengers?

Gia Binh International Airport (Bac Ninh) is planned to be expanded, increasing its capacity to 50 million passengers to reduce the load on Noi Bai Airport and meet the needs of the Northeast region.

The Minister of Construction has just approved the adjustment of the Gia Binh International Airport Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. The airport is located in Gia Binh, Luong Tai, Nhan Thang, Lam Thao communes ( Bac Ninh ), reaching level 4E, operating simultaneously for civil, security and defense purposes.

Perspective of Gia Binh airport parking lot and runway.

By 2030, Gia Binh airport is planned to have a capacity of about 30 million passengers and 1.6 million tons of cargo per year, and can handle many large aircraft such as B777, B787, A350, A321, and other special and specialized aircraft. By 2050, the airport's capacity is expected to reach about 50 million passengers and 2.5 million tons of cargo per year.

The new plan increases the capacity of Gia Binh airport by 5-6 times compared to before; the land area is expanded to about 1,959 hectares, nearly 5 times the old plan. The estimated investment capital demand is 95,706 billion VND by 2030, an additional 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 general planning of Hanoi Capital approved by the Government , Noi Bai airport will increase its capacity to 60 million passengers by 2030 and 100 million passengers by 2050, expanding to the south. The second airport in the capital region is planned in the southern area (formerly in Ung Hoa and Phu Xuyen districts).

Gia Binh Airport reduces the load on Noi Bai

In 2024, Noi Bai airport will reach a capacity of 30.1 million passengers, of which international passengers will account for 12.3 million and domestic passengers 17.7 million; it is expected to reach 33 million passengers in 2025, exceeding the design capacity of 30 million passengers per year.

According to Dr. Dao Ngoc Nghiem, Vice President of the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association, the expansion of Noi Bai has been discussed many times by Hanoi but has encountered difficulties due to land clearance problems, thousands of households will have to relocate if an additional terminal and runway are built in the south. The expansion project will take many years and incur huge costs for land clearance.

It is forecasted 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 yet urbanized like 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," said Mr. Nghiem.

According to the Aviation Design and Construction Consulting Company (ADCC), Noi Bai airport is overloaded and difficult to expand. The Northern Key Economic Zone forecasts passenger demand to reach 55 million in the 2021-2030 period and 85 million in 2050, Gia Binh airport will support Noi Bai - the main international aviation gateway of the capital.

However, Gia Binh airport airspace is located close to Noi Bai controlled airspace, only 43 km away. Under the condition of limited airspace capacity, increasing Gia Binh capacity must be accompanied by a corresponding reduction in Noi Bai capacity and reallocation of traffic between the two airports.

ADCC and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam both agreed to reduce Noi Bai's capacity to about 35 million passengers in 2030 and about 60 million passengers in 2050.

According to the adjusted planning documents of Gia Binh International Airport, the establishment 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 capacity between airports.

Meeting passenger and logistics needs in the Northeast region

According to Dr. Dao Ngoc Nghiem, Bac Ninh is located in an industrial, high-tech and strongly urbanized area, requiring a modern aviation gateway. Gia Binh Airport not only serves passengers in Bac Ninh and Lang Son but also develops 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 convenient location connects with the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway and Hai Phong and Quang Ninh seaports, creating favorable conditions for cargo transportation.

However, Mr. Nghiem noted that it is necessary to urgently build a road connecting the airport with the capital Hanoi and neighboring provinces to avoid the situation of "having an airport but no road".

ADCC Company said 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 mark for the Vietnamese aviation industry.

According to Vnexpress

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/vi-sao-san-bay-gia-binh-can-nang-cong-suat-50-trieu-hanh-khach--postid423771.bbg