With its strategic geographical location, since the French occupation of LaoKay, in addition to developing road and railway systems to enhance colonial exploitation, they have been very interested in developing Airways. Therefore, the French colonists sought suitable locations to build the airport. Although these airfields were simply built enough for light civilian and military aircraft of the time to take off and land, they contributed significantly to transport.

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung and Lao Cai provincial leaders inspect the local construction project of Sa Pa Airport.

Since Lao Cai Province was reestablished, with the rapid development of socio-economic, trade, tourism, the demand for goods, tourists from Lao Cai to the provinces, to international and vice versa increased, it should be done in a short time, so the construction of a worthy airport is extremely necessary, which is also the aspiration of the people of the province.

Model of air traffic station and station area to Sa Pa Airport.

When turning the history pages of Lao Cai Province after 30 years of reestablishment, we were surprised by a very significant event, because in the first year of the reestablishment of the province in 1991, the Government of Vietnam and other countries in the Mekong Subregion agreed to build the Mekong Subregion expansion Cooperation Program (GMS) under the initiative of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). GMS is the most complete cooperation program in Mekong Subregion cooperation, which prioritizes the development of transport infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, tourism, trade-investment, Human Resource Development, and the environment. In particular, in May 2004, during his visit to China, during talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, then Prime Minister Phan Van Khai made a proposal: Vietnam and China cooperate in building a corridor. economy Kunming - Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh. Prime Minister Phan Van Khai's initiative was approved by Chinese leaders, and right in the joint announcement, the two sides agreed to establish a Working Group under the Intergovernmental Economic Cooperation Committee to expedite its implementation. Also from here, the name Lao Cai is mentioned much as a bridge, because of the convergence of all important factors, in which traffic is placed first and air is the shortest bridge.

Overview of the station area to go and to Sa Pa Airport.

Exactly 30 years after the re-establishment of the province, the longing of Lao Cai people burst with joy when on October 21, 2021, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 1773 on investment policy on the construction of Sa Pa Airport Project. Mr. Nguyen Quoc Huy, director of Department of Transportation - Construction said: the investment in building an airport in Lao Cai is very urgent, in order to meet the requirements of socio-economic development, defense and security. The completed Sa Pa airport will have a huge spread for Lao Cai Province in particular and the northern mountainous provinces in general. This will be a breakthrough in transport infrastructure, interconnecting provinces in the region with both national and international; creating breakthroughs and new spaces for the development of trade, tourism - services of the region.

The items of Sa Pa Airport are modern design but still bold land identity and Lao Cai people.

At the meeting with the National Appraisal Council on the appraisal of the feasibility study report of component 2 project - Airport construction (phase 1) of the Sa Pa Airport Construction Investment Project Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Trinh Xuan Truong affirmed: The early implementation of investment in the construction of Sa Pa Airport Project is very important for Lao Cai province and the Northern Midlands and Mountains, contributing to concretize the implementation of Resolution 11 of the Politburo on the direction of socio-economic development and assurance of national defense and security in the Northern Midlands and Mountains by 2030, with a vision to 2045, in which determined to develop Lao Cai province into a growth pole, a center connecting economic trade between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with Southwest China. Along with that, Sa Pa Airport will be an important bridge to develop trade, tourism - services, as well as a solution to attract and develop the province's tourism industry.

Sa Pa Airport resettlement is under construction.

Sa Pa Airport is the second airport in the country assigned by the Government to the locality for implementation. Immediately after the Prime Minister's decision approving the investment policy, Lao Cai province focused on carrying out tasks such as: Completing the detailed planning on construction of functional areas of airports and submitting to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV); closely coordinating with central ministries and branches in appraising the feasibility study report dossiers for project approval and investor selection; build resettlement areas, organize site clearance to hand over to selected investors to implement the project, strive to complete and put into operation before 2025.

Sa Pa airport is expected to be operational by 2025.

Lao Cai Province has prioritized the balance of VND 1,200 billion from the local budget to implement clearance, support for the construction of works and infrastructure systems of the Sa Pa Airport Project. In particular, the statistics, compensation for site clearance, arrangement of resettlement for affected households were carried out early by Lao Cai province. Up to now, the project has basically completed site clearance of 295.2 hectares to implement phase I of the project, with more than 600 affected households, individuals and organizations (about 3,500 people), in which 450 households have to move, the total cost of implementation is 532 billion VND.

It is expected that the construction and operation time of Sa Pa Airport is 50 years (including the construction period of 4 years, the time of exploitation and capital recovery of 46 years). When Sa Pa airport is completed and put into use, it will be a great driving force, having a pervasive meaning in socio-economic development, attracting investment, creating a strong driving force in regional and international linkages, soon turning Lao Cai into a growth pole, a connection center of the Northern Midlands and Mountains and of the whole country.

Content: Pham Vu Son

Presented by: Ngoc Luyen