Hanoi (VNA) – The Hanoi-based Noi Bai International Airport will be expanded to serve 100 million passengers per year, becoming more suitable to the development space of Hanoi and minimising impacts on related planning schemes.

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung delivered this instruction at a meeting with relevant ministries and localities where they discussed methods for adjustment planning of the Noi Bai International Airport.

Dung required the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) to further cooperate with ADPi, an airport architecture and technical design consulting company of France, to complete methods for te Noi Bai Airport’s adjustment planning soon and select the final plan.

He said the selected plan must ensure the capacity scale to serve 100 million passengers per year, ensuring efficient operation in line with the aviation technology's advanced development trends.

It is necessary to minimise the expansion to the area, where will be compensated, especially residential land, ensuring favourable conditions for site clearance and lowest investment costs, Dung said.

The expanded airport will be consistent with the development space of Hanoi, protecting environment, national defence and security, he added.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Transport to propose a master plan for the transport system to connect with roads and railways as well as building a proper transport system around the Noi Bai Airport.

The expansion of the Noi Bai Airport is needed as the volume of passengers has increased rapidly in recent years. In 2018, the airport received 25.9 million passengers, exceeding the previous planning with 13.1 million passengers expected./.