Hanoi, Feb 11 (IANS): Vietnam aims to have 30 airports by 2030, compared with its current number of 22 civil airports as part of its effort to promote tourism and boost aviation industry, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said.

The Southeast Asian country will strive to have 14 international airports by 2030, the country's aviation regulator said in a statement on Friday after submitting a new development plan to the Ministry of Transport, Xinhua news agency reported.

Vietnam currently has 10 international airports, including those in the capital Hanoi, which can handle 25 million passengers a year, and those in the business hub Ho Chi Minh city, which has the capacity of 28 million passengers a year, according to the airport operators.

The Long Thanh International Airport outside Ho Chi Minh city, which has been under construction since 2021, is the country's latest airport infrastructure investment. The airport, when fully operational, would be able to serve 100 million a year and become a key transit hub for international passengers.

The country also plans to expand the domestic market by using the Bien Hoa Airport in southern Dong Nai province and the Thanh Son Airport in central Ninh Thuan province for both military and civilian purposes, and looking into the possibility of opening some other military airports for civilians, including Gia Lam Airport near the capital Hanoi.

Vietnam's aviation industry is expected to fully recover by the end of this year, with an estimated 80 million passengers and 1.44 million tons of cargo to be transported by air, said the aviation authority. This would equate to a 1-per cent growth in passenger transit and a 14.8-per cent increase in cargo compared to the pre-pandemic period in 2019.