The aim is to allow the increasingly popular tourist destination to receive and see off visitors at night.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), the frequency of flights to and from Con Dao Airport located on the 16-island archipelago in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has been increasing alongside growing travel demand.

However, the existing infrastructure at the island’s airport is still limited. It can only operate flights during the day and cannot expand operations to accommodate the rising demand for air travel.

The Con Dao Airport was first built by the French in the 20th century and upgraded in 2003 for commercial use. It has a 3C classification, meaning it can only receive ATR 72 and other small aircraft, and is closed at night because it does not have a runway lighting system.

Last year, private business group FLC had proposed that it funds a night lighting system for the airport, but this has not been approved to date.

Currently, Vietnam Air Services Company, commonly known as VASCO, a subsidiary of Vietnam Airlines, and the FLC’s Bamboo Airways are the only two carriers operating regular flights to the island.

According to a master plan, Con Dao is to be developed into modern economic and tourist zone of regional and international standards.

The archipelago was expected to receive 300,000 visitors by 2030, but it had already welcomed 400,000 in 2019, up 37 percent over to 2018. Visitors can either fly to Con Dao from HCMC, Da Nang and Hanoi or travel by high-speed boat from Soc Trang and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.