Vietnam's central airports add runways, stands and terminal capacity

By Nathan Brooks

Nearly 10 trillion VND will fund two expansion projects at Da Nang International Airport designed to raise Terminal T1’s annual capacity to 14 million passengers and add six Code C parking stands.

Da Nang International Airport, the region’s main aviation hub, has received continuing investment in the T2 international terminal and upgrades to Terminal T1. That work has not kept pace with passenger growth. In late August 2026, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) and Da Nang’s municipal People’s Committee launched two further projects: T1 renovation and expansion, plus Phase 1 of the aircraft parking apron expansion.

What changes at Da Nang?

The program aims to increase operational capacity, improve passenger services and meet demand from air transport, tourism and trade in Da Nang and central Vietnam. Its delivery sequence is fixed:

• Construction is scheduled to begin in August 2027.
• The expanded terminal is expected to be completed and operating in January 2029.
• Renovation of the existing terminal is scheduled for completion in August 2029.

Until the expanded terminal opens and the renovation closes, the 14 million-passenger and six-stand figures remain design targets rather than operating capacity. Once commissioned, the works give ACV more room to accommodate carriers and additional flights, supporting the airport’s wider route-development program.

Which infrastructure is already flying?

Runway 2 at Phu Cat International Airport in Gia Lai province entered operations on October 29, when the first charter flight from Macao, China, landed safely on the new runway.

Construction began in August 2025, with total investment of nearly 3.25 trillion VND ($126.24 million). The Gia Lai provincial management board of investment and construction projects for transport and agriculture implemented the project.

The works met the required quality, safety and aviation-security standards despite the compressed schedule and technical demands. Phu Cat can now accommodate Code C aircraft, including the A320 and A321 or equivalent models. It can also receive Code E aircraft when required, provided all corresponding operating conditions are met.

What must Quang Tri prove before opening?

In October, a Cessna 208 aircraft operated by the Survey and Aerial Mapping One Member Limited Liability Company under the Ministry of National Defence’s Department of Operations conducted surveys and inspections to assess obstacle clearance and aviation safety.

The work forms part of preparations to complete the airport’s technical requirements before operations begin. T&T Transport Infrastructure Investment and Development Company and CIENCO4 form the consortium developing Quang Tri Airport under a public-private partnership worth more than 5.8 trillion VND.

More than 80% of construction work has been completed. Under the adjusted master plan, the airport will move from 4C to 4E classification, allowing Boeing 777, Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 aircraft. Its design covers up to 5 million passengers and 25,500 tonnes of cargo annually.

Quang Tri remains pre-operational, and no commercial opening date or confirmation of 4E status is specified. Its planned 5 million-passenger capacity is less than half Da Nang’s 14 million-passenger T1 target, while the cargo figure offers a separate network role if the remaining safety and operating requirements are met.

Can Phu Bai keep pace with Hue?

Tourism growth in Hue city, including the area around Hai Van Pass, is increasing pressure on Phu Bai Airport’s operational capacity. Under a Ministry of Construction decision, the airport is planned to handle around 4 million passengers annually by 2030 and 12 million by 2050.

Hue city leaders say passenger numbers could reach 6 million in 2026. The city wants the airport’s designed capacity raised to around 7 million passengers a year by 2030. It has also proposed that Runway 2 and a synchronised taxiway system be developed before 2030.

What does this mean for airlines and cargo?

Nguyen Cao Cuong, chairman of ACV’s board of directors, said: “Airports in localities not only meet travel demand but also help drive economic growth, tourism and trade.”

ACV wants to work with local authorities and airlines on support measures, carrier recruitment, new routes, higher frequencies, passenger growth and entry into international markets.

For operators, Phu Cat offers immediate Code C access and conditional Code E acceptance. Da Nang’s future terminal and six stands could support more frequencies and new services, while Quang Tri’s 25,500-tonne cargo design would give ACV a cargo-development option if safety and operating requirements are met.

Phu Cat’s runway is already operational; the rest now depend on keeping Da Nang to its August 2027 construction start, completing Quang Tri’s obstacle-clearance and safety work, and converting Phu Bai’s proposed runway and taxiway into funded work before passenger growth outruns airport capacity.