Completing the planning when Bien Hoa Airport operated for dual use

​Bien Hoa Airport and Thanh Son Airport (Ninh Thuan Province) are two military airports planned for dual-use (civil and military service) in the submission for approval of the master development plan of Airports and Airports nationwide system in the period of 2021 – 2030 with a vision to 2050, has just been sent to the Prime Minister by the Ministry of Transport.

Bien Hoa Airport has been included in the plan of dual-use operation by the Ministry of Transport for the period 2021-2030.

Operation of dual-use before 2030

Recently, the Ministry of Transport has submitted to the Prime Minister a proposal for approval of the master plan on development of the nationwide airport system for the period of 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050. Accordingly, during the period of 2021 - 2030, the whole country will establish 30 airports. Notably, by 2030, a number of new airports will be formed, including Bien Hoa Airport. This is one of two military airports planned for dual use.

In April 2022, the Prime Minister made a decision to establish a Working Group on the deployment of Thanh Son (Ninh Thuan province) and Bien Hoa (Dong Nai province) Airports to have a basis for considering the transfer of these military airports into dual-use airports.​

By February 2023, the Aviation Administration of Vietnam has reported to the Ministry of Transport on the results of reviewing and completing the master plan for the development of the nationwide airport system in the period of 2021-  2030, with a vision to 2050.

In particular, with the proposal to transfer two military airports of Bien Hoa (Dong Nai) and Thanh Son (Ninh Thuan) to dual-use operation (for civil and military service) according to the airport model, based on the results for additional research by the consultant, the Aviation Administration of Vietnam proposed to add the planning of two domestic airports of Bien Hoa and Thanh Son to the planning of the airport system for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050.

The Aviation Authority of Vietnam also proposed conditions to convert Bien Hoa and Thanh Son military airports into dual-use operations only when attracting investors to implement with socialized capital.

According to experts, Bien Hoa Airport is located in a prime location, with good visibility, at the gateway to the Northeast of Ho Chi Minh City, with the direction of take-off and landing near parallel and in the same direction as Tan Son Nhat Airport. There are runways not far from each other, so it is convenient for both airports to operate at the same time.

Currently, Bien Hoa Airport also has 2 runways of 3.6km long with a system of taxiways, airplane parking lot, warehouses, and a flight control tower system … For dual-use operation, this airport just needs to be built more domestic terminals to serve passengers and cargo as well as renew the airplane parking lot, renew the lighting system, runway signal lights, auxiliary navigation system ... to create the ability to serve large commercial airplanes to take-off and landing.

Evaluating carefully to take full advantage

The fact that Bien Hoa Airport is planned for dual-use operation will have a great impact on the socio-economic development of the areas surrounding this airport.

At the meeting to hear reports on difficulties and obstacles in the process of planning Dong Nai province in the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050 at the end of April, Chairman of the People's Committee of Vinh Cuu district Nguyen Quang Phuong also suggested that the consortium of the provincial planning consulting unit should study and evaluate the impact of Bien Hoa Airport when it was operated dual-use on the surrounding localities, including Vinh Cuu district.

Similarly, Director of the Department of Planning and Investment Nguyen Huu Nguyen also said that, with Bien Hoa Airport being researched to plan for dual-use exploitation, the study and assessment of impacts should be carried out right from the present time.

One of the "hot" issues when Bien Hoa Airport is operated with dual-use is the connected traffic system. Because in fact, the current transport infrastructure system of Bien Hoa City is in a state of overload. Therefore, with one more airport being operated for civil use, the pressure of traffic overload in Bien Hoa City will be greater.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Cao Tien Dung said that the current infrastructure system, especially the traffic infrastructure of Bien Hoa City was not enough to "welcome" another dual-use airport. "The traffic infrastructure of Bien Hoa City currently does not "carry enough" of the needs of the City, so when there is more dual-use airport, it is necessary to study the planning properly to meet the needs" - Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Cao Tien Dung emphasized.

Therefore, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Cao Tien Dung also requested the consulting unit to study the planning of traffic routes to meet the transportation needs when Bien Hoa Airport operated dual-use. At the same time, it was necessary to fully evaluate the impacts of Bien Hoa Airport when operating dual-use in order to make the best use of development opportunities.​​