Artist’s impression of Long Thanh International Airport. Photo courtesy of Vietnam Airports Corporation
Construction of Long Thanh International Airport is progressing “very slowly” due to delays in land acquisition, relocation and disbursement of funds, lawmakers said.
Since the land acquisition was expected to be completed in 2021, the National Treasury stopped disbursing funds at the end of 2021, and Dong Nai province had to make payments and relocate residents, leading to delays, the National Assembly’s economic committee said in a recent review of the project.
Many landowners have complained about late payments and a lack of infrastructure such as markets and schools in the resettlement areas.
So far, 98.7% of the required land has been acquired and approximately 285 households are awaiting approval for relocation.
The government must announce policies to accelerate disbursements and reduce the impacts of land price appreciation, the economic commission demanded.
Long Thanh International Airport has an estimated cost of VND336.63 trillion (US$13.7 billion) and a planned capacity of 100 million passengers per year.
Its first phase, with a capacity of 25 million passengers, is expected to be completed by 2025.
