On March 4, 2026, Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), in coordination with the People’s Committee of Lam Dong Province, held the groundbreaking ceremony for the project of“Rehabilitation of the Runway and Taxiways at Lien Khuong International Airport.” The project aims to restore and enhance the pavement structure of the airside infrastructure, ensuring the highest level of operational safety while maintaining stable and sustainable airport operations in the long term.

Delegates attending the ceremony performed the official groundbreaking ritual to mark the commencement of the project.

Located in a strategic position on the Lam Vien Plateau, Lien Khuong International Airport serves as a vital transportation gateway that strongly supports the socio-economic development of Lam Dong Province and the Central Highlands region. With remarkable growth in recent years, the airport once recorded a peak throughput of 2.962 million passengers annually, exceeding its designed capacity and affirming its role as one of the region’s key aviation gateways. During the 2020–2025 period, the airport safely handled 77,794 aircraft movements and served 12.02 million passengers, along with 32,655 tons of cargo, mail, and baggage.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong, Deputy General Director of ACV, emphasized that the investment decision at this time is both necessary and timely, particularly as Lam Dong Province’s economy has shown strong recovery in 2025–2026, with its Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) estimated at approximately VND 329.87 trillion and total retail sales and service revenue exceeding VND 261 trillion. These encouraging growth figures highlight the urgent need for the airport’s airside infrastructure to be rehabilitated and maintained at optimal condition, ensuring compliance with the safety standards and service quality expected of an international airport.

Remarks by Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong, Deputy General Director of ACV, at the groundbreaking ceremony

As a Grade I aviation infrastructure project, the rehabilitation will cover the runway, taxiways, runway end safety areas, and associated technical infrastructure and equipment supporting flight operations, with a total investment of approximately VND 1.032 trillion. The core component of the project is the comprehensive rehabilitation of Runway 09–27, which measures 3,250 meters in length and 45 meters in width.

A key technical breakthrough of the project lies in the replacement of the existing asphalt pavement structure with cement concrete pavement. This solution not only addresses the current deterioration of the runway surface but also significantly enhances the load-bearing capacity required for modern aircraft operations.

The project is designed with careful consideration of synchronized technical infrastructure upgrades, including:

  • Rehabilitation and improvement of the taxiway system, including Taxiway E1 (255.3 meters), Taxiway E2 (137.0 meters), and the parallel taxiway extending over 901 meters with a standard width of 23 meters.
  • Expansion of the Runway End Safety Area (RESA) to 140 meters by 90 meters; upgrading the turning pad at Runway 09 in a trapezoidal configuration; and renovation of the stopway measuring 100 meters by 60 meters.
  • Construction of a protective retaining wall exceeding 1.7 kilometers in length at Runway End 09, together with the construction and rehabilitation of the drainage system, including modern box culverts CH1, CH2, CH3, and a 1500 mm circular culvert.

To further enhance operational capability under complex weather conditions, the project will also upgrade the airport’s aeronautical ground lighting system, including:

  • A Category I approach lighting system extending 900 meters for Runway End 09 and a simplified approach lighting system of 420 meters for Runway End 27.
  • Installation of Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) lights, runway threshold lights, runway end lights, runway edge lights, taxiway edge lights, and signage systems fully integrated with the lighting control and monitoring system.
  • Power supply systems supported by T2 and T3 substations, equipped with UPS backup systems and standby generators to ensure uninterrupted power supply for airport operations.

In addition, the Instrument Landing System (ILS), including the Endfire antenna at Runway End 09, along with meteorological observation stations, will be relocated and reinstalled in a synchronized manner.

Under the strategic orientation of “Enhancing Operational Capacity – Connecting the Future,” the project will not only restore the structural integrity of the airside infrastructure but also serve as a critical step toward realizing the long-term development plan of Lien Khuong International Airport as a Code 4E airport. This will enable the airport to accommodate modern wide-body aircraft such as the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787, laying a solid foundation for achieving the target of 5 million passengers annually by 2030 and 7 million passengers by 2050.

To facilitate construction activities, Lien Khuong International Airport will be temporarily closed from 00:00 on March 4, 2026, until 23:59 on August 25, 2026. ACV has committed to directing contractors to implement the project with a scientific construction schedule, strict quality control, and environmental protection measures, while mobilizing maximum resources to ensure timely completion and the early resumption of airport operations for passengers.

News and photos: Lien Khuong International Airport