The adjustment from airport level 4E to airport level 4F will help Gia Binh International Airport receive the world’s largest aircraft, opening up the opportunity to become a major transit airport in the region.
The Minister of Construction has just signed Decision No. 1737/QD – BXD approving the adjustment of the Gia Binh International Airport Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.
The biggest change in the planning of Gia Binh International Airport for the period 2021 – 2030, with a vision to 2050, is that this airport will be adjusted from airport level 4E to airport level 4F, thereby helping to receive the largest aircraft types today such as B747, B777, B787, A380, A350, A321 and other special and specialized aircraft.
Thus, in the national airport network, there are currently 3 airports planned to be 4F airports: Long Thanh, Chu Lai and Gia Binh.
Due to the airport level being adjusted to 4F, in the period from 2021 to 2030, Gia Binh International Airport will have 1 runway measuring 4,000 x 45 m (runway 06L/24R in the Southern area) and 1 runway measuring 3,500 x 45 m (runway 07R/25L).
In the vision to 2050, Gia Binh International Airport is planned to have 4 runways with the addition of runway 07L/25R with dimensions of 3,500 x 45 m, about 366 m north of runway 07R/25L; planned runway 06R/24L with dimensions of 3,650 x 45 m, about 366 m south of runway 06L/24R.
Another important adjustment is that Gia Binh International Airport is oriented to connect with the expressway from Hanoi Capital to the Port and Hai Phong City; arrange an urban railway station at the passenger terminal area of the Port to serve the connection with the national railway system, the urban railway line connecting to Hanoi Capital.
Detailed planning of the connecting traffic system is determined in the sectoral and provincial planning to ensure consistency and socio -economic development needs.
According to the consulting unit for the adjusted planning, in the national airport system, there are two airports that have reached level 4F: Long Thanh International Airport serving air transport and socio-economic development in the Southern region and Chu Lai International Airport serving air transport and socio-economic development in the Central region.
However, in the Northern region, there is no airport that has reached level 4F, so there will be an imbalance in the distribution of air transport activities for large aircraft (Code F).
Gia Binh International Airport is a newly built airport, the largest air gateway in the North, serving both private aircraft and a transportation center for passengers and goods by air.
With a planned runway length of 3,500m, it is basically sufficient to operate code F and code E aircraft, except for the B747-400 and B747-400F aircraft, which must limit the maximum take-off weight.
However, to ensure competition with airports in the region, which all have 4,000m runways and future backups, it is necessary to study the planning of Gia Binh International Airport with 1 to 2 runways of about 4,000m in length.
Currently, the land fund in Gia Binh International Airport area is sufficient to plan to extend the runway to 4,000 m and upgrade it to a 4F airport.
This is the time when construction items have not been built yet, adjusting the planning will be very convenient and avoid waste in construction investment.
Previously, the Minister of Construction also issued Decision No. 1714/QD-BXD approving the adjustment of the Master Plan for the development of the national airport and seaport system for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.
Specifically, the Ministry of Construction adjusted the content on the scale, airport level and estimated investment costs according to the planning of Gia Binh International Airport in Clause 1, Article 1 of Decision No. 1102/QD-BXD dated July 20, 2025 with the scale and level of a level 4F airport.
At the same time, adjust the capital investment demand for airport system development until 2030 in Clause 4, Article 1 of Decision No. 1102/QD-BXD dated July 20, 2025: the capital investment demand for airport system development until 2030 is about VND 485,472 billion, mobilized from the state budget, non-budgetary capital and other legal capital sources.
