The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) announced a decision on approving adjustments to the detail planning of Sa Pa airport until 2030 at a ceremony in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai on December 3.

Deputy Director of CAAV Pham Van Hao  speaks at the ceremony 

Accordingly, the construction of the international-standard airport will use 371 ha of land in Cam Con commune, Bao Yen district, Lao Cai province.

It will be a domestic civilian and military airport, and will be able to serve about 3 million passengers per year. The plane parking area will have nine spots for A320, A321 and Boeing 747 planes.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Director of CAAV Pham Van Hao asked the Northern Airport Authority to coordinate with the provincial People’s Committee and relevant agencies to implement the project in line with the adjusted detail planning.

According to the provincial People’s Committee, nearly 4.2 million tourists visited the province in 2018, a year-on-year increase of 21 percent.

The number of visitors is expected to reach about 5 million this year.

Located about 350km northwest of Hanoi, Sa Pa welcomes a diverse range of visitors, attracted by the highland tribes, iconic rice paddies and forest treks.