Thanh Hoa’s new airport to open this December

The authorities of Thanh Hoa Province and Vietnam Airlines have finalized the plan to welcome the first passengers during this New Year holiday at the Sao Vang (Gold Star) airport.
The two sides have reached agreement on the preparation for the launch of the Thanh Hoa - Ho Chi Minh City air route at the Sao Vang Airport in Tho Xuan District.
They agreed to temporarily base the ticket office at the guest house of the Thanh Hoa People’s Committee, No. 133, Quang Trung Street, Thanh Hoa city to prepare for the first flights in late December 2012.
Thanh Hoa authorities permitted Vietnam Airlines to advertise the new air route and to recruit and train local personnel.
The province is speeding up the construction of a road connecting the new airport to National Highway 47 to timely serve the airport’s opening. This project has a total investment of VND142 billion ($7 million), with the length of nearly 2.5 km.
Sao Vang used to be a military airport located in the town of Sao Vang, Tho Xuan District, Thanh Hoa Province. In May 2012, the Ministry of Transport instructed relevant agencies to upgrade the airport to serve public transportation. The investment came from Thanh Hoa’s budget.
According to Vietnam Airlines, the number of passengers from Thanh Hoa to Ho Chi Minh City via Vinh airport in Nghe An province is around 60,000 - 70,000 people each year. It is expected that once the Sao Vang Airport is put into operation, the number of passengers from Thanh Hoa to HCM City will grow by 15 percent in the first year and about 20 percent in the subsequent years.
Vietnam Airlines plans to use A320, A321 aircrafts with a frequency of 4-5 flights per week, and then one flight a day for this route.
Early last year, Thanh Hoa announced its plan to build a new airport at another location, Tinh Gia District, with a total investment of more than VND2.6 trillion, to serve 250,000 passengers and 10,000 tons of cargo each year.
US$1 = VND21,000.