The Littlest City in Vietnam Gets a Big Makeover with a $117 Million Mega Project

Cat Bi Airport, located in Hai An district, Hai Phong city, was first constructed by the French in 1912. With the rapid economic, tourism, and trade development in Hai Phong and the Northern coastal region, Cat Bi International Airport has been facing overload issues.

While the T1 passenger terminal has been serving its purpose efficiently, the number of passengers has exceeded its initial design capacity of 2 million passengers per year.

Therefore, the construction of the T2 passenger terminal is an urgent need and a strategic step to enhance operational capacity, catering to the economic, social, and tourism development, as well as international integration in the new phase.

Recently, the People’s Committee of Hai Phong city, in collaboration with the Vietnam Airports Corporation (ACV), organized a groundbreaking ceremony for the “Construction of T2 Passenger Terminal – Cat Bi International Airport” project.

The T2 Passenger Terminal project, invested by Vietnam Airports Corporation (ACV), is located in Hai An ward, Hai Phong city, with a total investment of nearly VND 2,690 billion. The project is expected to be completed within 18 months.

The T2 terminal will be constructed on an area of approximately 23,200 square meters, designed to serve 5 million passengers per year (equivalent to 1,500 passengers during peak hours), with a reserved plan to expand its capacity to 10 million passengers per year if needed.

The T2 terminal will feature two floors with separate arrival and departure levels. It will be connected to the aircraft parking area by four passenger boarding bridges, including three single bridges for Code C aircraft and one double bridge capable of serving either one Code E or two Code C aircraft simultaneously.

The terminal will have two islands for baggage handling, equipped with 28 counters (including 5 self-service bag drop counters), 14 check-in kiosks, 2 baggage conveyor belts for loading and unloading, and 3 conveyor belts for baggage claim.

Auxiliary items of the project include an M&E technical area, a power station, a chiller station, a wastewater treatment plant, a parking lot, landscaping, internal port transportation, lighting, and water supply and drainage systems, all meeting international standards.

Together with the T1 terminal (which is being considered for expansion to accommodate 3 million passengers per year), the new terminal will help achieve the goal of serving 13 million passengers per year by 2030, in line with the approved master plan for Cat Bi International Airport for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision towards 2050, and the investment policy of the Prime Minister.

Upon completion and operation, the T2 passenger terminal at Cat Bi International Airport will become a crucial link in completing the aviation infrastructure system, meeting both immediate and long-term development needs of the airport.

The project will not only enhance passenger service quality and operational efficiency but also expand the aviation network, connecting Hai Phong with other regions in the country.

This development will also serve as an essential driver for the city to attract investment, promote logistics development, expand trade and cultural exchange, and boost its appeal to domestic and international tourists, contributing to the breakthrough development of Hai Phong’s socio-economic landscape in the new era.