In late March, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) sent a dispatch to the Ministry of Transport (MoT) reporting on the investment preparation activities for Con Dao airport's upgrade.

In the dispatch, the CAAV wants the MoT to report to the government on assigning Ba Ria-Vung Tau province as the state body taking charge of implementing the project under the PPP mode.

Viable investment schemes have been proposed for Con Dao airport's upgrade

The CAAV also said it has mandated the consulting consortium ADCC-TEDI to coordinate with various airlines, including Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways, Vietjet Air, and more, to learn about their actual demands, and on that basis, consider the scenario of runway expansion as noted in the approved policy.

If the existing runway (1,830m x 45m) is used with state-of-the art (Code C) aircraft (Boeing737 or Airbus A320/321) as in the approved policy, the load must be reduced by 15-18 tonnes, limiting commercial efficiency.

The CAAV has asked the consulting unit to recalculate the plan related to runway length.

According to Pham Van Hao, deputy head of the CAAV, to ensure efficiency when using Code C aircraft, it is necessary for the runway to reach 2,400m in length. With this extension, the investment cost is estimated to surpass $43.4 million – not including the cost to restore the marine ecosystem that would be affected by the runway expansion plan.

If the project fails to lure investors, the MoT will consider seeking the government approval to expedite the Con Dao airport upgrade project using public investment sources.

In a dispatch sent to the CAAV in late February, the MoT asked it to survey investor interest if the project is implemented under the PPP mode, and from there make a report to the government for consideration.

To ensure the efficiency of the investment mode using public investment sources, the MoT wants the CAAV to urge the relevant consulting unit to carefully calculate the investment plans to ensure the utmost safety and investment efficiency.

In addition, the CAAV and the consulting unit have been tasked to study the revised planning scheme, including the content on the position and direction of the runway, and compare that to the approved scheme. If necessary, any revised planning should be reported to the MoT.

In respect to investor interest, the CAAV revealed that on February 23, An Sinh International Community JSC, based in Ho Chi Minh City, sent a document to the MoT to express interest and a proposal to carry out the project to build the new dual-use Con Dao airport.

This business has also constantly sent proposals over the past two years to both Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and the MoT seeking permission to implement the project.

Along with Con Dao airport, An Sinh JSC also seeks approval to expedite many sizable infrastructure projects in the country, including building the Ho Chi Minh City-Can Tho railway line.