On the morning of June 12, the National Assembly officially passed a historic resolution on the merger of provincial-level administrative units. Accordingly, the country has 28 provinces and 6 centrally governed cities.

Among the 6 centrally governed cities, Da Nang, after merging with Quang Nam, has an area of nearly 11,860 sq km, becoming the largest city in Vietnam, surpassing HCM City (6,772.6 sq km) and Hanoi (3,359.8 sq km).

According to the General Statistics Office, the GRDP of the new city was VND250,657 billion in 2023 and increased to VND280,307 billion in 2024. DaNang’s GRDP is below that of HCM City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Can Tho, only higher than Hue’s.

As for domestic budget revenue, the 2023 statistics showed that Da Nang had VND39,862.1 billion, ranking 4th among the six centrally governed cities in the country.

In terms of FDI, in 2023, Da Nang attracted $261.4 million in registered FDI capital. According to the General Department of Customs, Da Nang’s export turnover in 2023 reached nearly $3.68 billion, and in 2024 nearly $4.05 billion. This figure is modest compared to the export turnover of HCM City, Hanoi, and Hai Phong.

However, after the merger, Da Nang now has two major airports. Chu Lai Airport is the largest airport in the Central region and ranks among the top three largest airports in the country with over 2,000 hectares. The airport is located in the ChuLai Open Economic Zone, 2km from the sea, and lies on the shore of Dung Quat Bay.

Under Quang Nam Province Planning for 2021-2030 period, the international Chu Lai Airport will be built to a 4F-grade airport scale. The estimated capacity will be about 10 million passengers per year by 2030, before reaching 30 million passengers per year by 2050.

Chu Lai Airport will become an international aviation industry-service hub with passenger and cargo transport, and aviation logistics activities. It will be linked with high-tech industrial zones, forming a center for manufacturing and processing high-value technological products and import-export by air.

Meanwhile, Da Nang International Airport in 2024 transported 13.5 million passengers and 32,432 tons of cargo.

In 2025, several key projects will continue to be implemented, such as the Cargo Terminal at Da Nang International Airport, with expected land use area of 28,745.9 sq m, and operating capacity of 100,000 tons of cargo per year; an infrastructure construction project for the remaining northern airport land; and expansion of T1 terminal.

According to experts, the merger will help harmonize transportation infrastructure, and develop logistics, transport, and trade, as Da Nang has an international airport and seaport but limited industrial land, while Quang Nam has Ky Ha Port and the Chu Lai Economic Zone.

Tam An