Vietnam closes Pleiku airport until October for upgrade

Vietnam closes Pleiku airport until October for upgrade

A Vietnam Airlines aircraft at Pleiku airport in Gia Lai Province. Photo credit: Tuoi Tre

Pleiku Airport in the Central Highlands will be closed until late October for works to expand its runway and parking areas to accommodate larger aircraft.

The current runway of 1.8 kilometers long and 36.6 meters wide will be 2.4 kilometers long and 45 meters wide after the upgrade, officials said.

The airport in Gia Lai Province then will be able to host airliners such as Boeing 737 or those from the Airbus 320 family.

Nguyen Trong Ha, the airport director, said the project is expected to cost nearly VND950 billion (US$44.65 million), funded by the state, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam and Gia Lai’s budget.

It will also improve lighting at the parking area and expand its terminal.

The airport is scheduled to close from March 15 to October 25.

The nearest airport is Buon Ma Thuot in neighboring Dak Lak Province, which is 220 kilometers away, or three and a half hours by car.

He said his staff at Pleiku Airport and provincial transport officials will help travel agents arrange transport for passengers to go to Buon Ma Thuot Airport.

Vietnam closes Pleiku airport until October for upgrade Related image(s)