This morning at 11:20 AM (1.12), the Airbus A321 with registration VN-A396 touched down on the runway of Dien Bien Airport, marking a special milestone as the airport successfully welcomed a large and modern aircraft for the first time in its history.
Due to its small scale, Dien Bien Airport was previously only suitable for small aircraft such as ATR-72, Embraer 190, etc. However, the airport has now expanded its runway length to 2,400 meters, meeting the technical standards for Airbus A321, A320, and equivalent aircraft.
Flight VN1802, operated by Vietnam Airlines, took off from Hanoi at 10 a.m. and landed at Dien Bien airport after nearly 1 hour of flight.
The safe operation of jet aircraft at Dien Bien Airport is considered a significant milestone in Vietnam’s aviation industry, opening new opportunities for the economic and social development of Dien Bien province.
Starting from December 2, Vietnam Airlines, the national airline, will continue commercial flights to and from Dien Bien Airport. In the initial phase, the airline will operate daily flights between Hanoi and Dien Bien with a frequency of 7 flights per week.
In terms of schedule, flight VN1802 will depart from Hanoi at 1:05 PM, landing in Dien Bien at 2:05 PM. Conversely, flight VN1803 will take off from Dien Bien at 2:45 PM, landing in Hanoi at 3:35 PM.
Vietnam Airlines is currently offering promotional fares (including taxes and fees) from Hanoi to Dien Bien, starting at only 725,000 VND for economy class and 1.9 million VND for business class.
Tickets are available for purchase from now until December 28 and are valid for flights departing from December 2 to December 28. Customers can buy tickets at official ticket offices, authorized agents, or through the Vietnam Airlines website and mobile app.
Ceremony of spraying airplane water cannons
The expansion project of Dien Bien Airport was initiated on January 22, 2022, with a total investment of over 1.467 trillion VND from the funds of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam. This project is one of the commemorative works for the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory.
The project includes the construction of runway 35-17 with dimensions of 2400m x 45m, a two-end apron, reinforced concrete structure to accommodate A320/A321 or equivalent aircraft; wide shoulders on each side measuring 7.5m, a 60x100m braking strip at both ends of the runway, and the installation of a CAT I approach lighting system.
@Thanhnien.vn
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Source: Vietnam Insider