DANANG – The central city of Danang has proposed an investment of US$10 billion to upgrade the existing Chu Lai International Airport to meet rising demand driven by tourism, investment and logistics growth through 2050.
The upgrade is expected to make Chu Lai the first airport in central Vietnam to achieve the highest International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) classification of 4F.
Vice Chairwoman of the Danang Municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Anh Thi said the upgrade would enable the city to host up to 30 million tourists by 2050. Danang, a major beach tourism hub in central Vietnam, recorded 17.8 million tourist arrivals in 2025.
She said the close linkage between aviation and tourism means improved aviation infrastructure would accelerate sustainable tourism growth, further positioning Danang as an attractive and safe destination.
Deputy Director of the city’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Department Van Ba Son said Danang’s two airports, Danang International Airport and Chu Lai Airport, currently operate 26 air routes, including 18 international routes, with 132 flights daily. A total of 30 airlines have registered daily operations connecting both international and domestic destinations.
He said 3,500 new flights have been scheduled to arrive at the city’s airports between Dec 22 and Jan 1, 2026, while more than 5,000 flights have been registered for the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday period from Feb 10 to 24.
According to city officials, Danang is targeting 19.1 million visitors in 2026, with estimated tourism revenue of VNĐ70 trillion (US$2.7 billion).
Chu Lai Airport, originally built as an airbase in the 1960s before opening to commercial traffic in 2005, covers an area of 2,000 hectares but currently handles only about 1.2 million passengers annually. The proposed investment is expected to significantly increase its capacity, alongside the development of a 225-hectare free trade zone and a 545-hectare eco-urban and industrial zone.
Last year, Danang International Airport was ranked among the top five airports in Asia for capacity, with the ability to handle up to 20 million passengers per year. It was one of only two airports from Vietnam to make the list announced at Routes Asia 2024 in Malaysia.
In 2026, Danang International Airport is set to begin expansion works, including the development of a cargo terminal, infrastructure upgrades and the expansion of Terminal 1 to handle up to 100,000 tonnes of cargo annually.
