Sun Group breaks ground on $152mn civilian works of Phan Thiet Airport in Vietnam’s Lam Dong

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by local authorities and central agencies, highlighting renewed progress on the long-planned dual-use airport serving both military and civilian functions.

According to Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh, Phan Thiet Airport was first planned and studied for investment in 2014 as a dual-use facility serving both defense and socio-economic purposes.

The military components, including the runway, taxiways, and related facilities, were assigned to the Ministry of National Defense and had already been put into operation by the end of 2025.

The civilian segment, including the passenger terminal, apron, and supporting aviation infrastructure, was initially assigned to authorities of the former Binh Thuan Province, which was later merged into Lam Dong Province under a national administrative restructuring effective July 1, 2025.

After around a decade of procedural adjustments, Sun Group has taken over as the investor and resumed the construction of the civilian works, which form the core commercial component of the airport.

The project has a total investment of nearly VND4 trillion (US$152 million), covering an area of almost 75 hectares.

It is designed to meet 4E standards, allowing operations of wide-body aircraft, with a planned capacity of around two million passengers in the first phase.

Once completed, it is expected to significantly reduce travel time to Lam Dong from major hubs such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang and key tourist destinations including Phu Quoc, opening up opportunities to attract millions of domestic and international visitors each year, Minh said.

He noted that the project is the first civilian airport development in Vietnam using private capital while sharing military-built runway infrastructure, making it a model of combined defense and socio-economic development.

It also reflects the government’s policy of developing synchronized and modern infrastructure while attracting private investment, in line with Resolution No. 68 of the Politburo, he added.

Speaking at the ceremony, chairman of Sun Group Dang Minh Truong said the group will mobilize resources to ensure the project is completed and put into operation in 2027.

“Phan Thiet Airport is not only an infrastructure project but also the foundation of a large-scale tourism, resort, and aviation ecosystem that Sun Group is developing in Lam Dong in the coming period,” Truong said.

He said the airport will help create new development space, expand services and logistics activities, and enhance the region’s ability to attract investment.

This is the third airport project developed by Sun Group, following Van Don International Airport in northern Quang Ninh Province and Phu Quoc International Airport in Phu Quoc Special Zone in southern An Giang Province, Truong added.

Chairman of the Lam Dong provincial administration Ho Van Muoi described the project as strategic, saying it will improve connectivity between the province and major economic centers in Vietnam and abroad.