Mang Den Airport construction plan proposed

The construction of Mang Den Airport costs nearly VND5 trillion in the first phase

According to the Ministry of Transport, Mang Den Township has great potential for tourism development. The development of transport infrastructure, including Mang Den Airport, is crucial for Kon Tum Province to tap this potential.

This airport will serve tourism development in Mang Den Township and contribute to boosting local socioeconomic development, especially in the tourism and service sectors. If Mang Den Tourism Area is developed according to the plan to create a full ecosystem of tourism products, the demand for air transport could reach the projected capacity of about one million passengers per year.

The proposed location of the airport is in Mang Den Township, Kon Plong District, about 45km northeast of Kon Tum City center, 73km northeast of Pleiku Airport, 105km northwest of Phu Cat Airport, and 93km southwest of Chu Lai Airport. The area designated for the airport is entirely located on hilly terrain, with an expected area of about 350ha. The annual capacity is projected to reach around one million passengers by 2030.

The airport is planned to be upgraded to a 4C-class airport according to the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), with infrastructure improvements to exceed its capacity for the period after 2030.

The construction of Mang Den Airport costs nearly VND5 trillion in the first phase. Of the sum, nearly VND330 billion (6.6 percent) will be mobilized from the state budget, and over VND4.6 trillion (93.4 percent) from the PPP project’s investor.

The expected payback period for the Mang Den Airport project is over 48 years.

On November 29, 2023, the Prime Minister issued Decision 1492/QD-TTg approving the task of general planning for the development of Mang Den Tourism Area in Kon Plong District, Kon Tum Province, until 2045.

According to this decision, the annual number of visitors to Mang Den Tourist Area is expected to reach about 2.5 million by 2030, and around 5 million by 2045.

Thus, given its capacity of one million passengers per years, Mang Den Airport would meet only 40 percent of tourist demand by 2030 and 20 percent by 2045.

Decision 1492/QD-TTg also outlines the direction for building the technical infrastructure framework, which includes Mang Den Airport.

Specifically, the decision indicates that the direction for transport development involves forecasting the demand for passenger and freight transport. It includes developing a transportation strategy to control traffic within tourism and urban areas; organizing a transportation network that encompasses external transportation, urban transportation, and static transportation systems. The decision also emphasizes connecting key infrastructure projects, such as Quang Ngai - Kon Tum expressway and Mang Den Airport. It proposes a network of supporting projects to serve environmentally friendly transportation of tourists, as well as the locations, scales, and quantities of key transportation facilities.