The project, invested by the state-run Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), will include a terminal, traffic roads, parking lots and other facilities. It is set to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2021. 

The second terminal of the airport will be built on an area of 22,380 square meters to serve five million passengers per year, including a million foreigners, by 2021 and nine million passengers by 2030. When it comes into operation, the existing terminal will serve cargo only.

Phu Bai Airport, 15 km from Hue's center, is currently able to serve up to 1.5 million passengers per year, but it often gets overloaded with two million passengers.

The new terminal's design is inspired by the famous Hue Citadel. Its first floor will have a lobby, a baggage claim area, a VIP waiting room, a lost and found room, customs and security zones.

A mezzanine floor between the first and second floor will accommodate offices of air carriers. The second floor will have check-in counters, exit and entry counters and waiting areas.

The airport on Sunday welcomed the 115 millionth passenger of Vietnamese airports in 2019. This year, Vietnamese airports welcomed 116 million passengers, up 12 percent compared to last year.

The annual average passenger growth rate of Phu Bai Airport is estimated at 15 percent.

Vietnam's former imperial capital of Hue, now capital of Thua Thien Hue Province, was the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802 - 1945), Vietnam's last royal family, and is home to five UNESCO heritages.