Lien Khuong Airport
Encyclopedia
Lien Khuong International Airport (IATA: DLI, ICAO: VVDL) is the largest among 4 airports of Lam Dong province in Central Highlands
Vietnam
. The airport is located in Duc Trong District, about 30 km south of Da Lat. The major reconstruction in order to handle bigger aircraft was completed in December 2009.
From 1956 - 1960 American army resconstructed and upgraded Lien Khuong Airport with rather completed facilities is not the infrastructure is quite complete, the terminal was designed in French architecture, with three stories. The terminal had a capacity of 50,000 passengers per year or about 120 passengers/peak hour.
During 1964–1972, the runway, apron, packing, access roads went through improvement and reinforcement, the runway was refaced with asphalt from 8–10 cm in depth. As a result of this improvement, the runway reached 1,480 m long and 37 m wide, the apron was 23,100 square meters, apron of 2,106 square meters, access road was 2,100 meters long. Following the unification of Vietnam on 30 April 1975
until 1980, this airport was controlled and opereated by the Vietnam People's Army
, the airport mainly served high ranking governmental leaders on business and lifting residents from the northern Vietnam to Lam Dong in the so-called "New Economic Movement".
From 1981-1985 Lien Khuong Airport served civil service filghts with Ho Chi Minh City - Lien Khuong route (one filght weekly) on AK40 Aircraft but all civil flights was suspended due to low passenger traffic.
Since 1992 Lien Khuong Airport resumed its civil services with Ho Chi Minh - Lien Khuong, and Huế
– Lien Khuong on AK 40 and was later replaced by ATR 72
. The Huế – Lieng Khuong was later suspended.
Since October 2004, this airport has served more air link with Hanoi
's Noi Bai International Airport
with Fokker 70 aircraft. As of December 2009, there are two daily flights to Ho Chi Minh City, one flight daily to Hanoi.
Russia ran connection flights within Vietnam with Ilyushin Il-86
aircraft during 1981-89. It is suspected that the Soviet VVS
Air Force carried out operations from Lien Khuong after the fall of Saigon in April 1975. Russia disbanded 2 of 3 defensive VVS interceptor squadrons consisting of Su-27, MiG-25, and 13 Yak-50 within Da lat in the summer of 1999. The fate of the retired aircraft is unknown. Possible transfer to People's Army of Vietnam PAVN and/or People's Air Defense Force of Vietnam PADFV to Hanoi
.
The new two-floor terminal will enable the Lien Khuong airport to serve international flights in the region in 2010.
The terminal is capable of receiving 1.5-2 million passengers per year.
, South Korea
, Laos
and Cambodia
.
|+ Flights Out of Lien Khuong International Airport by Frequency
|- style="background:darkgrey;"
! |Rank|| |Destinations|| |Frequency (Weekly)
|-
|1
|Ho Chi Minh City
|21
|-
|2
|Hanoi
|14
|-
|3
|Da Nang
|7
Tây Nguyên
Tây Nguyên, translated as Western Highlands and sometimes also called Central Highlands, is one of the regions of Vietnam. It contains the provinces of Đắk Lắk, Đắk Nông, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Lâm Đồng....
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. The airport is located in Duc Trong District, about 30 km south of Da Lat. The major reconstruction in order to handle bigger aircraft was completed in December 2009.
History
Lien Khuong Airport was built by the French colonists 1933 with a 700-meter-long soil runway.From 1956 - 1960 American army resconstructed and upgraded Lien Khuong Airport with rather completed facilities is not the infrastructure is quite complete, the terminal was designed in French architecture, with three stories. The terminal had a capacity of 50,000 passengers per year or about 120 passengers/peak hour.
During 1964–1972, the runway, apron, packing, access roads went through improvement and reinforcement, the runway was refaced with asphalt from 8–10 cm in depth. As a result of this improvement, the runway reached 1,480 m long and 37 m wide, the apron was 23,100 square meters, apron of 2,106 square meters, access road was 2,100 meters long. Following the unification of Vietnam on 30 April 1975
Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975...
until 1980, this airport was controlled and opereated by the Vietnam People's Army
Vietnam People's Army
The Vietnam People's Army is the armed forces of Vietnam. The VPA includes: the Vietnamese People's Ground Forces , the Vietnam People's Navy , the Vietnam People's Air Force, and the Vietnam Marine Police.During the French Indochina War , the VPA was often referred to as the Việt...
, the airport mainly served high ranking governmental leaders on business and lifting residents from the northern Vietnam to Lam Dong in the so-called "New Economic Movement".
From 1981-1985 Lien Khuong Airport served civil service filghts with Ho Chi Minh City - Lien Khuong route (one filght weekly) on AK40 Aircraft but all civil flights was suspended due to low passenger traffic.
Since 1992 Lien Khuong Airport resumed its civil services with Ho Chi Minh - Lien Khuong, and Huế
Phu Bai Airport
Phu Bai International Airport is located just south of the central city of Huế, former capital of Vietnam.- News :* October 30, 2005: Phú Bài Airport officially welcomed its first international flight since it was allowed to receive international flights by Government in 2002...
– Lien Khuong on AK 40 and was later replaced by ATR 72
ATR 72
The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. ATR and Airbus are both built in Toulouse, and share resources and technology...
. The Huế – Lieng Khuong was later suspended.
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
's Noi Bai International Airport
Noi Bai International Airport
Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is the largest in the north of the country. It is 28 miles from the city centre. The travel time from the city centre is 30–45 minutes.-Facilities:...
with Fokker 70 aircraft. As of December 2009, there are two daily flights to Ho Chi Minh City, one flight daily to Hanoi.
Military activity
AeroflotAeroflot
OJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines , commonly known as Aeroflot , is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation, based on passengers carried per year...
Russia ran connection flights within Vietnam with Ilyushin Il-86
Ilyushin Il-86
The Ilyushin Il-86 is a medium-range wide-body jet airliner. It was the USSR's first wide-body and the world's second four-engined wide-body...
aircraft during 1981-89. It is suspected that the Soviet VVS
VVS
VVS is a three letter acronym which may refer to:* Very Very Slightly Included, a way of describing the clarity of a diamond* Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome, a syndrome of vulvodynia associated with chronic disease* V. V. S...
Air Force carried out operations from Lien Khuong after the fall of Saigon in April 1975. Russia disbanded 2 of 3 defensive VVS interceptor squadrons consisting of Su-27, MiG-25, and 13 Yak-50 within Da lat in the summer of 1999. The fate of the retired aircraft is unknown. Possible transfer to People's Army of Vietnam PAVN and/or People's Air Defense Force of Vietnam PADFV to Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
.
Services
The new 12,400-square-meter passenger terminal was inaugurated on December 26, 2009.The new two-floor terminal will enable the Lien Khuong airport to serve international flights in the region in 2010.
The terminal is capable of receiving 1.5-2 million passengers per year.
Current destinations
Proposed international destinations
The airport has been upgraded into international standard to serve international flights to SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
.
Statistics
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:89%; align=center;"|+ Flights Out of Lien Khuong International Airport by Frequency
|- style="background:darkgrey;"
! |Rank|| |Destinations|| |Frequency (Weekly)
|-
|1
|Ho Chi Minh City
|21
|-
|2
|Hanoi
|14
|-
|3
|Da Nang
|7
Ground transport
A shuttle van to Da Lat is available for 40,000 dong; tickets are available near baggage collection, however seats quickly fill up. A taxi would be around 250,000 dong (15 US Dollars).Accidents and incidents
- On 29 December 1973, Douglas C-53D EM-3 of Air America overran the runway on landing. The aircraft was substantially damaged and was not salvaged due to the presence of land mineLand mineA land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
s in the area. It was operating a non-scheduled passenger flight. All nine people on board survived.