Da Nang International Airport

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Coordinates: 16°02′38″N 108°11′58″E / 16.04389, 108.19944

For the military use of the facility prior to April 1975, see Da Nang Air Base

Đà Nẵng International Airport (IATA: DAD, ICAO: VVDN) is located in Da Nang of central Vietnam. It is the third international airport in the country, besides Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi) and Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City). It is an important gateway to access central Vietnam.

In addition to its civil aviation, the runway is shared with the Vietnamese People's Air Force (VPAF, the Không Quân Nhân Dân Việt Nam).

[edit] Airlines and destinations

^[1]

[edit] Domestic

• Jetstar Pacific (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City)
• Vietnam Airlines (Buon Ma Thuot, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Pleiku, Qui Nhon)
• Vietnam Air Service Company (Qui Nhon)

[edit] International

• Asiana Airlines (Seoul-Incheon) [begins July 2, 2008]
• Korean Air (Seoul-Incheon) [begins July 22, 2008]
• PBair (Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi)
• SilkAir (Singapore)

Once the new terminal is finished in 2010. The Vietnamese Government is hoping to extend other flights to Phnom Penh, Hong Kong, and Siem Reap

[edit] Facilities

The airport has two runways, one 10,000 ft (3,045m) paved runway. The airport has a modern aviation equipment system to handle large aircraft.

Traffic volume at Da Nang averages 100 to 150 flights every 24 hours. Annual traffic is between 800,000 and 1,000,000 passengers. In 2000 the estimated number of passengers was 1.5 million and will grow to 4 million by 2020.

[edit] News

• November 4, 2005: Pacific Airlines inaugurated its daily flight between Da Nang and Hanoi. With the addition of this new route, domestic passengers have more choice to fly between the central city and the capital, the route has been long-time monopolized by Vietnam Airlines. (Note: This flight appears to have been suspended as it is no longer available in 2007).

• In 2006, this airport received, for the first time since 1975, one millions passengers (40,000 international passengers) (compared with 400,000 passengers of the 4th ranked Phu Bai airport and nearly 400,000 passengers of the fifth ranked Cam Ranh airport)

• This airport is currently being upgraded. A new terminal costed at US $84 million with a capacity of 4 million passengers per year, scheduled for completion in 2010. One of its two runways will be extended from 3,048 m to 3,500 m. Once this project is completed, this airport will have a total capacity of 6 million passengers per year. ^[2].

• At the beginning of 2008, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines announced to operate summer charters between Seoul (Incheon International Airport) and Da Nang. Both carriers have plans to convert this route to year-round regular scheduled route when this summer charter season sees successful outcome.

[edit] History

Situated on flat, sandy ground on the south side of the major port city of Da Nang, the area was ideal for an airfield, having unobstructed approaches to its north/south runways. Tourane Airport was built by the French colonial government in the 1930s as a civilian airport. During World War II, and the Japanese occupation of French Indochina, the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force used it as a military air base.

B-26C Serial 44-34109 of the French Air Force - Over Indochina 1952. This aircraft was Returned to the USAF Oct 1955 and scrapped.

After the war, the facility was used by the French Air Force during the French Indochina War (1945-1954). In 1953/54 the French laid a NATO-standard 7,800-foot asphalt runway at Tourane and stationed loaned American B-26s "Invaders" of the Groupe de Bombardement 1/19 Gascogne. In 1954 after the Geneva Peace Accords, these B-26's were returned to the United States.

In 1955, the newly-established Republic of Vietnam Air Force (VNAF) inherited from the French a token force of fifty-eight aircraft. These included a few squadrons of Cessna L-19 observation aircraft, C-47 transports and various utility aircraft. Tourane Airfiled was turned over to civilian use, with the South Vietnamese using facilities at Bien Hoa, Nha Trang and at Tan Son Nhut, near Saigon.

In 1957 the VNAF re-established a presence at the renamed Da Nang Airport, stationing the 1st Liaison Squadron with Cessna L-19s. The South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) also used Da Nang as a ranger training facility.

Air Vietnam also used the facility from 1951 to 1975 for civilian domestic and international flights within Southeast Asia.

During the Vietnam War (1959-1975), the facility was known as Da Nang Air Base, and was a major United States military base. Once little more than a provincial airfield, the facility was expanded to 2350 acres (95 1 hectares) with two 10.000 ft (3048 m) asphalt runways with concrete touchdown pads. parallel taxiways, and a heliport.

[edit] See also

• Noi Bai International Airport
• Tan Son Nhat International Airport
• List of airports in Vietnam

[edit] References

1. ^ Destinations from Da Nang
2. ^ Upgration of Dan Nang International Airport on Tuoi Tre Newspaper, dated 1 November 2007 by Viet Hung, (Vietnamese) [1]

• Mikesh, Robert C. (2005) Flying Dragons: The South Vietnamese Air Force. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0764321587 (Historical origins of the facility)

[edit] External links

• Infrastructure in Danang
• Da Nang International Airport at WikiMapia
• Airport information for VVDN at World Aero Data
• Current weather for VVDN at NOAA/NWS
• Airport information for DAD / VVDN at Great Circle Mapper
• Accident history for DAD / VVDN at Aviation Safety Network

v • d • e   Airports in Vietnam International Airports Can Tho (VCA) • Da Nang (DAD) • Haiphong (HPH) • Hanoi (HAN) • Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) • Hue (HUI) • Nha Trang (CXR) Domestic Airports Buon Ma Thuot (BMV) • Ca Mau (CAH) • Chu Lai (VCL) • Con Dao (VCS) • Dong Hoi (VDH) • Da Lat (DLI) • Da Lat (VVCL) • Dien Bien Phu (DIN) • Phu Quoc (PQC) • Pleiku (PXU) • Qui Nhon (UIH) • Rach Gia (VKG) • Son La (SQH) • Tuy Hoa (TBB) • Vinh (VII) • Vung Tau (VTG)