Authorities of northern Lao Cai province have approved the adjustment to the sub-project No.2 of Sapa airport project to increase the airport’s capacity to handling 3 million passengers annually.

The project is implemented under the mode of public private partnership (PPP).

The project, which covers a total area of 371ha, is divided into two phases with total investment capital estimated at over VND6.39 trillion ($243 million).

Construction of the first phase, scheduled from 2021-2025, is estimated to cost more than VND3.98 trillion ($152 million). This includes the construction of Sa Pa Airport to meet the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) 4C standard, with an annual capacity of 1.5 million passengers, under the initial plan.

The sub-project No.2 will include additional works from the second phase, including the expansion of the passenger terminal to expand the airport’s capacity to 3 million passengers per year. Construction is scheduled to start in 2028 with estimated cost of VND2.41 trillion ($91.9 million).

Bidding is scheduled to be held in the third quarter of 2025 to choose investor for the sub-project No.2.

The project was initially approved by the Prime Minister in 2021.