Van Don named Asia’s leading new airport

Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, has been named ‘Asia’s Leading New Airport 2019’ at the World Travel Awards (WTA) Asia & Oceania.

Developed by Sun Group, and completed in late 2018, Van Don International Airport is the first airport in Vietnam to be honored at the WTA Asia & Oceania.

“To be named ‘Asia’s Leading New Airport 2019’ by the WTA Asia & Oceania is huge source of pride for us and acknowledges the far-reaching vision of Sun Group, which set out to boost both tourism and trade in Quang Ninh province by creating a truly world class international airport,” said Pham Ngoc Sau, director of Van Don International Airport. “This award will serve as motivation for us to continue to go above and beyond to ensure we always provide the highest quality of service and give our customers the best airport experience.”

Developed at a cost of VND7,463bn (US$0.32bn), the airport has a 2.5 million passenger capacity, which is expected grow to five million passengers per year by 2030.

Considered a “new gateway to Halong Bay”, the aesthetic design of Van Don International Airport Terminal pays tribute to the beauty of the Unesco World Natural Heritage site, while providing travelers with ample green spaces.

In its first eight months of operations, Van Don International Airport has welcomed more than 150,000 passengers traveling on 1,300 flights. Besides boosting tourism, the airport is also expected to open up new trade opportunities for Quang Ninh province. It is already welcoming direct international routes from Shenzen, China (Donghai Airlines), Incheon, South Korea (Vietnam Airlines), and Hunan, China (Qingdao Airlines) and expects to be receiving flights from Hainan, Nanning and Guangzhou (China) as well as Japan and Thailand by the end of 2019. Meanwhile, the domestic market is scheduled for expansion, with flights from Da Nang and Phu Quoc to be added by the year end.