Vietnam’s Lien Khuong airport to close for 6 months for major upgrade

The administration of Lam Dong Province in Vietnam’s Central Highlands announced on Sunday that Lien Khuong International Airport, the key aviation gateway to Da Lat City, will temporarily shut down for about six months to undergo major repairs and upgrades.

The upgrade, with an estimated investment of VND1.045 trillion (US$40 million), will be carried out by the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), which currently manages and operates 22 airports nationwide.

According to an ACV proposal, the airport’s deteriorating asphalt runway will be replaced with a reinforced concrete surface to ensure flight safety and long-term operational capacity.

At a recent meeting related to the airport upgrade, the provincial People’s Committee requested ACV to shorten the proposed construction period from eight months to six, and to choose an appropriate time frame to shut down the airport in order to minimize disruptions to the province’s economy.

Local officials expressed concerns that a prolonged closure could negatively impact tourism and socio-economic development in the region.

While the exact timeline for the closure has not been finalized, in a March 2025 document, the provincial administration requested ACV to carefully assess the urgency of the repairs and explore interim solutions, such as temporary patchwork, to maintain airport operations safely in the short term.

The province also recommended that ACV consider building a second runway in the future to avoid complete shutdowns during major upgrades.

If the suspension of airport operations becomes unavoidable, the provincial administration emphasized the need for close coordination in choosing the least disruptive period, ideally after 2025 and following the completion of local National Party congresses

Lien Khuong became the first international airport in Vietnam’s Central Highlands in June last year.

It is classified as a 4E-grade airport, with a design capacity of around five million passengers annually.

The last major upgrade took place from 2003 to 2007, enabling the airport to accommodate aircraft such as Airbus A320s and A321s.

Minh Duy - M.V. / Tuoi Tre News

(2025/05/19-17:47)