Vietnam’s ACV urged to build new terminals at Da Lat airport amid rising travel demand

Lien Khuong Airport is the main air gateway serving the highland destination of Da Lat and surrounding areas, supporting the province's tourism, economic development and trade.

However, its infrastructure has fallen behind demand.

The airport currently has only one passenger terminal with a design capacity of 2.5 million passengers per year, while cargo facilities handle 6,752 metric tons annually.

In 2022, passenger traffic had already reached nearly three million, exceeding the terminal’s design capacity.

A project to upgrade the airport’s runway and taxiways is scheduled for completion by August 19 this year.

Following the upgrade, the airport will meet 4D international standards and military grade II requirements, allowing safe operations of large aircraft such as Airbus A320s and A321s.

The provincial administration anticipated that the airport’s passenger and cargo volumes would rise significantly, but warned that without further upgrades to the terminal infrastructure, the investment in airfield upgrades will not be fully effective.

According to the province’s approved planning for 2021-30, with a vision to 2050, Lien Khuong is set to be upgraded to 4E status, serving as the aviation gateway of the Central Highlands with a capacity of five million passengers and 20,000 metric tons of cargo annually.

Under the provincial administration’s proposal, the existing Terminal 1 would retain its annual capacity of 2.5 million passengers, while a new Terminal 2 would be built with a capacity of three million passengers per year, along with a new cargo terminal and aircraft apron.

Officials said the expansion aligns with approved plans and supports tourism, logistics, and high-tech agriculture in Lam Dong and the wider Central Highlands.