Work began on May 19 on the expansion of Terminal T2 at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport to increase its capacity by 1.5 times to 15 million passengers per year.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh kicks off the project on May 19. Photo: VGP

Under the mega project, worth a total of VND5 trillion (US$196.4 million), Terminal T2 will be expanded by about 273,000m2 to 412,000m2.

The terminal will be completely overhauled. The number of check-in islands will triple to six, the number of baggage carousels will quadruple to eight, the number of direct check-in counters will quintuple to 120, and 10 self-check-in kiosks will be added, bringing the total to 34.

The project is slated for delivery in February 2026. At the ceremony, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) pledged to complete the project on schedule and open the new terminal in time for the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party, scheduled for January 2026.

The expansion of Terminal T2 at Noi Bai International Airport, the construction of Terminal T3 at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, and Long Thanh International Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai are expected to facilitate traffic through Vietnam's airports, improve the quality of services, and strengthen domestic transportation infrastructure.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at the event that improving transport infrastructure is one of the three strategic priorities that are key to giving the nation a strong boost in socio-economic development.

"As all airports are already overloaded, the expansion of Terminal T2 is an urgent task to ensure that Noi Bai International Airport can cope with the increasing air traffic and cargo transportation," he said.

The Prime Minister also praised the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Government of Hanoi, the State Capital Management Commission (SMSC), and ACV for overcoming obstacles and starting the project on schedule.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh greets workers involved in the project. Photo: VGP

He asked all relevant units to do their best to ensure the project is completed by December 31, 2025. To achieve the goal, PM Chinh asked ministries, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, and SMSC to take drastic measures and ensure safety standards in and around the terminal.

The ACV and the contractors are tasked with closely monitoring the project and ensuring that it stays on schedule. They must also guarantee the proper use of government funds and comply with construction quality, safety, and environmental regulations.

In addition, the authorities in Hanoi and Soc Son District must cooperate with the contractors and provide them with the best conditions to carry out the project.

Noi Bai International Airport is one of the largest in Vietnam. In 2023, the airport handled nearly 30 million passengers, second nationwide, and processed 700,000 tons of cargo, the highest.  

The airport is designed to handle 60 million passengers per year by 2030 and 100 million by 2050.

Terminal T2 for international flights was put into operation in January 2015. The total investment in the terminal was VND18 trillion ($707 million) through ODA loans.

In 2019, Terminal T2 welcomed 11.4 million passengers, exceeding its designed capacity of 10 million for 2020.