Le Dinh Tho, Deputy Minister of Transport, said at a meeting Thursday, adding that the airport's current capacity of 500,000 was too low, given Quang Binh Province’s strong tourism potentials.

The domestic Dong Hoi Airport, rebuilt in 2008, is located on a 173 hectare plot. Last year, it exceeded its capacity by 200,000 passengers, according to official figures.

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) had proposed to Quang Binh authorities in July that the airport be upgraded at a cost of VND2 trillion ($86.3 million), making it capable of receiving international flights and up to 3 million passengers a year.

Quang Binh is home to Son Doong Cave, the world’s largest, and other spectacular cave systems. The province welcomed over 4 million visitors in the first nine months, up 28 percent year-on-year.

ACV last year proposed a VND56.7 trillion ($2.4 billion) upgrade to 16 of the 21 state-owned airports in the country to meet rising air travel demand.