Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has urged the People’s Committee of northern Lao Cai province to finalise its proposal for construction of Sa Pa Airport, with opinions of relevant ministries and agencies taken into account.

A mock-up of Sa Pa Airport in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai.
(Photo: baogiaothong.vn) 

The proposal must be submitted to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc for review before it would be approved in-principle, Dung said in an official dispatch sent to the Lao Cai People’s Committee on August 3.

In 2018, Lao Cai proposed building an airport in Sa Pa resort town at a total cost of nearly VND5.8 trillion (US$252 million) to the Ministry of Transport.

The airport will cover 371ha in Cam Con commune, Bao Yen district. Its construction will last four years under a public-private partnership. Once completed, it will be capable of serving 3 million passengers per year.

Located on the economic corridor of Kunming – Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong, Lao Cai is an economic belt based on trade development among provinces in Southwest China.

Currently, the province’s transport system incorporates only roads and railways. Therefore, an airport is viewed as crucial to improve local transport network, creating new engine for the development of Lao Cai and the northwest mountainous region at large.