The Chairman of the People’s Committee of Lao Cai Province has officially approved adjustments to Component Project 2 - the construction of Sa Pa Airport - to be implemented under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, with a total investment exceeding 6.3 trillion VND (approximately 248 million USD).

The province decided to maintain the scope and scale previously approved for Phase 1 of the project. This includes the construction of Sa Pa Airport to meet the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) 4C standard, with an annual capacity of 1.5 million passengers. The airport will also serve as a level 2 military airbase.

Component Project 2 will also include additional works from Phase 2, aiming to expand capacity to 3 million passengers per year. Enhancements include the completion of two taxiway segments at Runway End 14, a parallel taxiway connecting Runway End 14 to the aircraft apron (23 meters wide), the addition of three Code C aircraft parking positions, and the expansion of the passenger terminal to support 3 million passengers annually. Jet bridges will also be installed to improve passenger boarding and deplaning efficiency.

The PPP contract for Component Project 2 spans 46 years and 7 months. Of this, one year is allocated for technical design review, construction drawing design, and contractor selection. The airport's operation, exploitation, and capital recovery phase is planned for 43 years and 6 months. Phase 1 construction is expected to take 2 years and 1 month, while Phase 2 construction will occur during the operation and capital recovery period.

The total investment for Component Project 2 is over 6.3 trillion VND (approx. 248 million USD), with nearly 4 trillion VND (157 million USD) allocated for Phase 1, and approximately 2.4 trillion VND (94 million USD) for Phase 2.

N. Huyen