Tiếng Việt
普通话
In a proposal to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), the operator of the country’s largest airport stated that the runway 07L/25R has seen a growing number of cracks and deformations in its asphalt concrete layer. Skid marks and ruts are also clearly visible on the surface.
“The start of the runway has a large section where the asphalt concrete surface has subsided and been submerged by rain, creating a flight safety risk,” reported the airport.
For the sake of operational safety, the airport sought the go-ahead from CAAV to carry out repair and maintenance works on the runway from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. from February 27 to March 9.
A representative of the airport told Thanh Nien newspaper that the repair and maintenance, funded by the airport, is a temporary fix as a major upgrade project is pending approval.
The Ministry of Transport, which is responsible for the repair and maintenance of runways and taxiways at all 21 airports in Vietnam, pointed out in an urgent message to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc last September that Tan Son Nhat and its Hanoi-based peer Noi Bai are under considerable pressure due to the increasing demand for air travel.
Their runways and taxiways have been used beyond their designed capacities, resulting in seriously damaged infrastructure, according to the ministry.
At the time, the ministry stressed that if the renovation and upgrade of the two airports were not completed soon, flight operations would be at risk.
Due to hindrances in the funding system, the execution of the project has been delayed for nearly two years.
The ministry urged the Government to allocate a total of more than VND4.15 trillion (US$178 million) for the renovation and upgrade of runways and taxiways at the two airports.
Of the figure, the Tan Son Nhat airport will need over VND1.87 trillion (US$80 million). Repair work will be underway for nearly two years, as scheduled.