Cam Ranh Bay

Cam Ranh airport takes flight

A Vietnam Airlines’ Airbus A320 from HCM City touched down on the Cam Ranh runway in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa on Wednesday, opening domestic passenger flights to the airport, which was once a military airport during the American war.

The move is part of the Government’s plan to exploit the airport for civil purposes to fully tap the potentials of the south-central and Central Highlands regions.

Under the Cam Ranh Bay development strategy, approved by the Prime Minister last October, Cam Ranh airport will be upgraded to international standards by 2005, when it will receive long-haul aircraft.

General Director of the Central Region Civil Aviation Administration, Nguyen Lai could not hold his tears saying he and his colleagues had spent four months shuttling between Hanoi, HCM City, Da Nang, Nha Trang and Cam Ranh to turn the military airbase into the present civil airport. He said Vietnam Airlines will fly frequently to Cam Ranh from Hanoi, HCM City and Da Nang, using A320s, A321s and Boeing 767s. The airport has a runway of 3,045m in length and 45m in width, and it is able to service 10 large aircraft at the same time.

Pham Van Chi, Chairman of Khanh Hoa provincial People’s Committee said the inauguration of the terminal would help boost provincial socio-economic development. It aims to welcome 1 million visitors by 2010 and 2 million by 2020.

Chi said the province will develop tourist resorts and high-quality services on the northern part of the Cam Ranh peninsular. Along the newly-built Cu Hin pass leading to Cam Ranh airport, industrial parks will be built to attract domestic and foreign investment. Five-star high-rise buildings will be built along the Bay alongside four-start resorts.

Chi said nearly 60 businesses have registered to invest in the northern Cam Ranh peninsular.

Cam Ranh is considered one of the best three natural seaports in the world, besides San Francisco in the US and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Road leading to Cam Ranh Airport under construction
05/19/2004 -- 22:21(GMT+7)

Khanh Hoa, May 19 (VNA) - Construction of a bridge and a road connecting Cam Ranh airport to the transnational highway 1 started in  the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa on Wednesday. 

The 546.4m-long and 20.3m-wide bridge and the 26m-long and 20.3m-wide road    will be built at a cost more than 270 billion VND from the Ministry of Transport and Communication.

These facilities, scheduled for completion in 2006, will help reduce the distance from Cam Ranh  airport to Nha Trang city and other southern provinces by 25 km.

The same day, Cam Ranh airport was officially opened to commercial flights.

The airport has a 350-m long, 45-m wide runway, able to accommodate Vietnam Airlines' most modern aircraft. Its apron and taxiway can park 30 jumbo jets at a time.