Lai Chau to open airport in 2012

An airport will be built in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau to serve both civil and military purposes, announced the Ministry of Transportation and the Lai Chau People’s Committee on June 13.
The Lai Chau airport will be located on 117 hectares in Tan Uyen town, 60 km southwest from Lai Chau’s centre. It is scheduled to open in 2012 and will serve 73,000 passengers per year.
The airport will include a terminal capable of handling 40,000 passengers and 100 tons of freight a year. Figures are expected to reach 110,000 passengers and 300 tons of cargo once the airport is upgraded in 2030.
The total investment is estimated at 4.35 trillion dong (US$228.9 million).
Lai Chau is a border province holding significant social-economic and defence-security importance.