Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha makes a field trip to the construction site of Long Thanh International Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai. (Photo: VNA)

Dong Nai – Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on October 16 made a field trip to the construction site of Long Thanh International Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai.

At a working session with relevant sides on the day, Ha suggested them launch emulation movements, focusing on ensuring the progress, safety and quality of the project.

Stressing the importance of the airport, the official asked its investor – Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) – to step up its management and select prestigious and capable contractors.

Dong Nai province needs to hold working sessions with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment soon in order remove obstacles, and complete the compensation and resettlement work, he went on.

The Deputy PM was reported on the project’s progress by the ACV and the People’s Committee of Dong Nai.

Over the past eight months, Dong Nai handed all 2,532 hectares of land earmarked for the first phase to the investor, and the handover of the remainder is expected to be completed late October, according to the committee.

Long Thanh airport, to become Vietnam's largest, is budgeted to cost around 336.63 trillion VND (13.75 billion USD). Its construction is divided into three phases.

In the first phase, a runway and one passenger terminal along with other supporting facilities will be built at a cost of 109.1 trillion VND to serve 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo each year.

Once fully completed by 2050, the airport will be able to handle 100 million passengers and 5 million tonnes of cargo annually.

Located 40km east of Ho Chi Minh City, it is expected to relieve overloading at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, currently the country’s largest, in the southern metropolis.