The Vietnam Airlines Corporation held a ceremony to inaugurate the Pleiku airport upgrade project in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on September 5.
Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai, Public Security Minister General Tran Dai Quang, Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang and leaders of Central Highlands provinces attended the event.
the airport was temporarily closed between March 15 and October 25 for the implementation of the second phase.
The project has been started since September 28, 2014 and is expected to be completed on December 31, 2015.
Public Security Minister General Tran Dai Quang praised efforts of the Vietnam Airlines and contractors for concluding the project four months earlier than schedule, ensuring both quality and safety.
He said that the upgrades and expansion of Pleiku Airport is significant to travel demand and socio-economic development between the Central Highlands region and big cities in the country, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
On this occasion, the low-cost airline Vietjet Air launched new routes Pleiku-Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City.
Pleiku Airport uppgrade project which was funded by the central government and Gia Lai budgets, and the Airport Corporation of Vietnam at a total capital of VND 950-billion (US$ 43.2 million) includes expansion of the airport's runway, building of two aprons to accommodate A321 aircraft, and upgrade of the lighting system and the passenger terminal.
