The Ministry of Transport has directed south-central Binh Dinh province to exploit more international routes and gradually upgrade Phu Cat Airport into an international facility to meet socio-economic development needs in the province and the region.

The number of passengers using Phu Cat has increased rapidly in recent years and the airport has begun to cater to some regular international flights, according to the ministry.

Phu Cat is currently a civil-military airport with a capacity of serving 600 passengers an hour at its peak. The airport’s T2 international terminal, which can cater to 600,000 passengers a year, welcomed its first international flight on January 6, 2020, with Bamboo Airways carrying 144 passengers from Cheongju Airport in South Korea.

Last year, the Binh Dinh Provincial People’s Committee proposed expanding Phu Cat Airport and building a new terminal under the public-private partnership (PPP) form, in order to double its capacity and turn it into an international airport.

The province is forecast to welcome 7.5 million visitors arriving by air by 2025 and 12 million by 2030.