The Ministry’s recent report to the central government concerns Xuan Truong’s proposal to build the airport either in the former Nam Dinh Province’s Y Yen District or another location to be determined through surveys. The project would be funded entirely through Ninh Binh’s provincial budget (after administrative consolidation) and private capital - without drawing from the central government’s coffers.

The Ministry noted that reorganizing provincial administrative units will open new directions for economic and transportation development. The need to invest in infrastructure to support socio-economic growth is, it said, “completely justified.”

In particular, it acknowledged that the newly merged Ninh Binh region holds potential for developing an air transport market. As such, the Ministry supports the proposal to conduct research and include a new airport in the revised national airport system plan.

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A corner of Tam Chuc Pagoda. Photo: Hong Khanh

Vietnam’s current airport master plan - approved by the Prime Minister under Decision No. 648 dated June 7, 2023 - already identifies 12 potential new airport locations based on preliminary technical assessments.

Among those, three (Gia Binh in Bac Ninh, Mang Den in Kon Tum, and Van Phong in Khanh Hoa) have been formally submitted by local governments, evaluated by the Ministry, and received the Prime Minister’s approval for inclusion in the national plan.

These cases were deemed to meet key technical and feasibility criteria for developing new airports.

However, as the Ministry emphasized, “The current master plan does not identify Ninh Binh (post-merger) as a potential site for a new airport.”

Therefore, to create a legal basis for inclusion, the Ministry proposes authorizing Ninh Binh’s People’s Committee to develop a comprehensive proposal evaluating the feasibility of constructing an airport. This proposal would be submitted to the Ministry for review and subsequent reporting to the Prime Minister.

The Ministry will also establish a professional task force to assist the province and ensure the plan is high-quality and completed on schedule.

It also stated it will review and update the national airport master plan to reflect Vietnam’s evolving provincial structure and infrastructure needs.

Separately, the Ministry of Finance is preparing a comprehensive proposal to revise the Law on Planning, which will be submitted to the National Assembly in the near future. Once the airport feasibility study is complete, the Ministry of Construction will follow legal procedures to amend the master plan accordingly.

Two expressways and nine bridges proposed

In addition to the airport, Xuan Truong Construction has proposed building two major expressways connecting Trang An and Bai Dinh heritage sites in central Ninh Binh to Nam Dinh and Phu Ly (Ha Nam Province). The expressways would include eight traffic lanes and nine bridges crossing the Day and Hoang Long rivers. The company pledges to complete construction in under 12 months.

This infrastructure would also be funded through Ninh Binh’s post-merger provincial budget and private capital, again without relying on central government funds.

The Ministry views the investment in expanded road infrastructure as essential after the administrative restructuring. However, it emphasized that all such projects must align with the province’s development plan and fall under the jurisdiction of the Ninh Binh People’s Committee.

In Document No. 1100 (dated June 30, 2025), the Ninh Binh People’s Committee acknowledged responsibility for this proposal and has instructed its departments to urgently review and update provincial plans as the foundation for implementation.

The Ministry agrees with Ninh Binh’s position and will direct relevant departments to support and guide the province throughout the process.

Xuan Truong Construction is best known for spearheading several large-scale spiritual and tourism developments, including the 12,000-hectare Trang An - Bai Dinh Tourism Complex, the 5,200-hectare Tam Chuc Spiritual Tourism Area, and various transport projects nationwide.

Hong Khanh