Foreign Carriers Urged to Fly to 3 Vietnam Int’l Airports

Vietnam will give incentives to foreign and domestic airlines to fly to three international airports of Phu Quoc, Can Tho and Lien Khuong to boost tourism industry, said Lai Xuan Thanh, deputy head of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV).

Airport service fees will be 50% discounted at these airports, the deputy head said at a conference in Ho Chi Minh City on July 27 to call for investments in the three airports.

These airports will be upgraded to welcome international flights from and to Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and the Northeastern Asia, said Mr. Thanh.

Phu Quoc international airport at Phu Quoc island was built in Nov 2008 with an initial investment of VND1.1 trillion, and scheduled to come into full operation in 2012.

Can Tho international airport is under construction with total area of 20,700 square meters in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho. The airport capitalized at VND1.3 trillion is expected to open in Dec.

Lien Khuong airport is built in the central highlands province of Lam Dong in 1933. In 2009, the airport received 2.5 million tourists, of which 10% were foreigners. The passenger number is expected to rise to three million this year.

Tags: Vietnam aviation, Vietnam aviation industry, Vietnam aviation market