Da Nang International Airport

Đà Nẵng International Airport (Sân bay Quốc tế Đà Nẵng) is located in Đà Nẵng, the largest city in 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), and 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), although military activities are now extremely limited. The airport handled 3 million passengers in 2011, and it is estimated that it will serve 3.6 million passengers in 2012 and the number will reach 6 million milestone in 2016 to its full terminal capacity. An expansion of the new terminal is currently considered to increase its capacity to 10 million passengers per annum by 2020.

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.

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 7800 ft 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 Airfield 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 acre with two 10000 ft asphalt runways with concrete touchdown pads. parallel taxiways, and a heliport.

Recent history
During the year 2006, Da Nang Airport counted one million passengers annually (40,000 international passengers), the first time since 1975 it had reached this level. By comparison, both the fourth-ranked Phu Bai Airport and fifth-ranked Cam Ranh Airport counted around 400,000 total passengers in the same year. In order to cope with increasing traffic, a new passengers terminal opened on December 2011.

Facilities
Da Nang International Airport has two 10000 ft paved, parallel runways (17-35 orientation) capable of handling large, modern aircraft such as Boeing 747s, 767s and Airbus 320s. Traffic volume at Da Nang averages 100 to 150 flights every 24 hours. Annual traffic was circa 1.45 million in 2007 and is expected to reach four million by 2020.

A new 20,000m² terminal, priced at USD $84 million with a capacity of 4 million passengers per year, is expected to be completed by 31 December 2011, opening to receive its first domestic flight on 12 December. The feasibility study for the renovation of the airport was partially sponsored by the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), and was completed by PriceWaterhouseCoopers in 2006. The new terminal will include five boarding gates, baggage handling systems, departure and arrivals areas, flight information display system (FIDS), common user terminal equipment (CUTE), fire detection systems and comprehensive public address and security systems, including screening equipment. Additionally, one of the airport's two runways will be extended from 3048 m to 3500 m. Once the project is completed—after a total investment of USD $160 million—the airport will have a total capacity of six million passengers per year.

The new terminal was put into operation on December 15, 2011.

Airlines and destinations
Current regular and terminated flights serving Da Nang International Airport are as follows:

Terminated routes
Pacific Airlines inaugurated its daily flight between Da Nang and Hanoi in November 2005, giving domestic passengers an additional choice when flying between Da Nang and the capital, a route that had long been monopolized by Vietnam Airlines. At the beginning of 2008, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines announced the operation of summer charters between Seoul (Incheon International Airport) and Da Nang. Both carriers plan to convert this route to year-round regular scheduled service if this summer charter season proves to be successful.

TransAsia Airways started service between Taipei and Da Nang in December 2009, and China Southern Airlines began service between Guangzhou and Da Nang in January 2010; flights operate twice weekly. The Vietnamese Government is hoping to serve more flights, to destinations such as Phnom Penh, Hong Kong, Siem Reap, Japan, South Korea and Thailand after the construction of the new international terminal is complete in 2011.

Both Tiger Airways and AirAsia terminated their respective SIN-DND and KUL-DND flight due to high airport fees.

Accidents and incidents

 * On 30 September 1970, Douglas DC-3DST B-305 of Air Vietnam crashed into a hill near Da Nang while attempting to divert to Da Nang Airport due to weather conditions at its intended destination of Phu Bai Airport, Huế. Three of the 38 people on board were killed.