Cam Ranh International Airport’s Runway 2 put into use

In recent years, in order to meet the growth of flight operations at the airport, many projects have been implemented and put into use, including International Terminal 2 and application of flight procedures using satellite navigation method. In August 2018, the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) established and put into operation an Approach and Tower Control Center at the Cam Ranh International Airport, the fourth Approach and Tower Control Center in Vietnam (the other three are each in Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat and Da Nang international airports).

The Cam Ranh International Airport initially just served military flights and had only one runway. The airport welcomed the first civil flight in 2004 and is now receiving both military and civil flights. Regiment 920 of the Air Force and Brigade 954 of the Navy Force are operating about 200-300 flights daily at the airport, while up to 200 civil flights plus are handled at the airport per day. Cam Ranh International Airport is capable of serving up to19 take-off and landing activities within one hour.

Along with the economic and tourism development in Khanh Hoa Province, the number of passengers arriving in the province through the Cam Ranh International Airport has grown rapidly in recent years, increasing from one million in 2011 to 2.7 million in 2015, almost 4.9 million in 2016 and about six million in 2018.

However, the existing runway (Runway 1) has become overloaded and deteriorated and therefore doesn’t satisfy the actual development demand, leading to the need to build one more runway at the airport. Construction of Runway 2 at the Cam Ranh International Airport is one of the key projects of Khanh Hoa Province in the 2016-2020 period.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam’s (CAAV) decision, Runway 2 at the Cam Ranh International Airport will officially be put into operation on June 20, 2019. The new runway is located in parallel and more than 200m from Runway 1, and is equipped with the Instrument Landing System (ILS). Runways 1 and 2 will be dependent parallel runways. Runway 2 meets standard 4E of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) – is capable of receiving such large aircrafts as B767-300 and B787. Cam Ranh is the fourth airport in Vietnam, having two parallel runways.

In preparing for safe and efficient operation of Runway 2, the VATM has designed flight procedures (traditional and PBN) for the runway 2; published Aeronautical Information Publication Supplement (AIP SUP) about the adjustment of current runways’ parameters, the new runway’s operation and procedure charts at the Cam Ranh International Airport; revised Manual of Operation of Approach and Tower Control Center at the Cam Ranh International Airport; coordinated with relevant organizations to review and amend the airport’s flight regulation etc… to ensure safety, order and efficiency of both civil and military flights. Based on the reached agreements, the VATM has built and completed Operational procedure of two parallel runways at the Cam Ranh International Airport for submission to the CAAV for approval. The Operational procedure will become effective on June 20, 2019.

The VATM has done its preparation for controlling and serving flights upon Runway 2’s operation. Runway 2 will considerably increase the Cam Ranh International Airport’s operational capacity. It plays an important role in maintaining the airport’s stable operations when Runway 1 is under repair and or maintenance. While Cam Ranh Bay in particular and Khanh Hoa Province in general have an important, strategic location, Runway 2 at the Cam Ranh International Airport is expected to contribute greatly to economic and tourism development in Khanh Hoa and local and national defense and security.