Pleiku Airport in Gia Lai Province was reopened on September 10 after being closed for nearly six months for an upgrade project, following the transport ministry’s request.
The two-phase VND945 billion (US$41.19 million) upgrade project in the Central Highlands province was launched last September. The first phase was carried out even as the airport remained operational. In its second phase, the airport was closed for nearly six months for construction work on its runway.
The runway was widened from 36m to 45m and its length was increased from 1,830m to 2,400m in order to accommodate the A321, Boeing 737 and other aircraft of similar size.
In addition, the terminal was renovated to handle up to 600 passengers during the peak period.
Pleiku Airport is the only one of its kind in Gia Lai and the neighbouring province of Kon Tum. When the airport was temporarily closed, passengers had to go to Phu Cat in Binh Dinh Province and Ban Me Thuot in Dak Lak Province to catch flights.
At present, only national carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA) is using the airport, with flights arriving from Ha Noi, Da Nang and HCM City.
The carrier has reopened flight routes from and to Pleiku Airport as of September 1. On the occasion of the airport’s re-opening, Vietnam Airlines is offering one-way tickets between HCM City and Pleiku for VND399,000 ($17.7), and for VND799,000 ($34.6) for flights between Ha Noi and Pleiku. The tickets can be bought till September 30 this year.
Two budget airlines, VietJet Air and Jetstar Pacific, also plan to start operations at Pleiku Airport soon. — VNS
