The project commenced Wednesday to expand Phu Bai International Airport’s apron capacity from eight to 13 planes during the first phase and 14 in the second phase, said Vu The Phiet, head of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the project's investor.

The first phase, with a total investment of VND494 billion, is expected to complete by the end of 2021, Phiet said.

Phu Bai is designed to receive 1.5 million passengers a year, but the airport is expected to receive nine million a year by 2030.

After the first phase of expansion, Phu Bai would have the capacity of receiving five million passengers a year. The project’s second phase would increase its capacity to nine million passengers a year, according to Phiet.

Construction on the airport's second terminal, also funded by ACV, started last December and is expected to complete in the fourth quarter of 2021.

The Phu Bai Airport is about 15 km away from Hue, a major tourist destination thanks to the Imperial Citadel, royal tombs and natural landscapes.

Last year, Phu Bai handled over 12,000 flights, served about two million passengers, and transported over 5,000 tons of goods. It was renovated in 2013 by the ACV for about VND700 billion.