Tho Xuan Airport

Summary

Thọ Xuân Airport, formerly Sao Vàng Airport (Vietnamese: Sân bay Sao Vàng, Vietnamese: Sân bay Thọ Xuân) (also known as Thanh Hoá Air Base or Bái Thượng Air Base), is an airport located in Sao Vàng town in Thọ Xuân District, Thanh Hóa Province, 45 km northwest of the provincial capital Thanh Hóa. The airport is currently operated by Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF).

Thọ Xuân Airport

Sân bay Thọ Xuân

Cảng hàng không Thọ Xuân
Summary
Airport typeCivil/Military
OperatorVietnam People's Air Force
ServesThanh Hóa
LocationSao Vàng
Elevation AMSL18 m / 59 ft
Coordinates19°54′6″N 105°28′4″E / 19.90167°N 105.46778°E / 19.90167; 105.46778
Map
VVTX is located in Vietnam
VVTX
VVTX
Location of airport in Vietnam
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
13/31 10,498 3,200 Concrete
Statistics (2022)
Passengers1,612,958 (Increase 128.44%)

This airport handled 90,000 passengers in 2013, 160,000 passengers in 2014 and is estimated to serve 550,000 passengers in 2015, an increase of more than 300%[3]

History edit

Vietnam War edit

The air base was built in 1968 and was used as a forward staging bases with MiGs temporarily deployed from other VPAF bases.[4]

On the morning of 13 April 1972 the airfield was attacked by B-52s, destroying one MiG-17 and cratering the runway.[5] The base was attacked again by US Navy A-6s in May 1972.[6] On 15 June U.S. fighter-bombers again attacked the base cratering the runway.[7] The base was attacked again on 18 June with further damage to the runway.[8] The base was attacked again on 11 and 12 November 1972 with six craters reported in the runway.[9]

Current use edit

The base is home to the VPAF 923rd Fighter-bomber Squadron operating the Sukhoi Su-30MKK.

The government of Vietnam implemented an upgrading project to add more civil facilities in order to turn the airport into a mixed civilian/military airport in early 2013. It is planned to become a relief airport for Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport.

Airlines and destinations edit

AirlinesDestinations
Bamboo Airways Con Dao,[10] Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Quoc, Quy Nhon[11]
Pacific Airlines Ho Chi Minh City
VietJet Air Buon Ma Thuot,[12] Can Tho, Da Nang,[13] Ho Chi Minh City[14]
Vietnam Airlines Buon Ma Thuot,[15] Da Lat, Da Nang,[16] Ho Chi Minh City[17]

References edit

  1. ^ "Vietnam Airlines adds Thanh Hóa as its new domestic destination". Anna.aero. 13 February 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  2. ^ "Cảng hàng không Thọ Xuân tổng kết công tác năm 2022 và kỷ niệm 10 năm thành lập". Báo Thanh Hóa. 10 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Cảng Hàng không Thọ Xuân đón hành khách thứ 330.000 (Tho Xuan Airport served the 330.000th passenger in 2015" (in Vietnamese). VTV. 2015-08-06.
  4. ^ Toperczer, Istvan (2001). MiG-21 Units of the Vietnam War. Osprey Publishing. p. 74. ISBN 1-84176-263-6.
  5. ^ Thompson, Wayne (2003). To Hanoi and Back: The United States Air Force and North Vietnam 1966-1973. Government Printing Office. p. 226.
  6. ^ "Legends of Vietnam: Shoulder to Shoulder". Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine. May 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  7. ^ Joseph Treaster (17 June 1972). "U.S. planes raid MIG bases in North but shun Hanoi". The New York Times. p. 6.
  8. ^ Malcolm Browne (18 June 1972). "Airfields are hit as heavy strikes continue in North". The New York Times. p. 1.
  9. ^ James Sterba (14 November 1972). "Heavy U.S. raids on North go on". The New York Times. p. 7.
  10. ^ "CHÍNH THỨC MỞ BÁN CÁC ĐƯỜNG BAY CẦN THƠ/ĐÀ NẴNG/VINH – CÔN ĐẢO". Bamboo Airways (in Vietnamese). 30 October 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Bamboo Airways mở đường bay Thanh Hóa - Phú Quốc và Thanh Hóa - Quy Nhơn từ ngày 1/7". Vietnambiz (in Vietnamese). 12 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  12. ^ David Casey (5 May 2022). "50 New Routes Starting In May 2022". Routes.
  13. ^ Liu, Jim. "VietJet Air schedules new domestic routes from mid-June 2020". Routesonline. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  14. ^ "Vietjetair Adds Thanh Hoa Service from late-Nov 2014".
  15. ^ "Vietnam Airlines khai trương đường bay Thanh Hóa – Buôn Ma Thuột". Vietnam Airlines (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  16. ^ "Vietnam Airlines tiếp tục mở 5 đường bay nội địa mới". Vietnam Airlines (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  17. ^ "Vietnam Airlines mở đường bay TP. Hồ Chí Minh - Thanh Hóa trước Tết (Vietnam Airlines will launch Ho Chi Minh City-Thanh Hoa air route before Tet)". Ministry of Transport of Vietnam. 2013-01-09. Retrieved 2013-01-09.

External links edit

  • Government to implement three airport projects on Vietnamnet.net
  • Thanh Hoa told to rethink civil airport project Saigon Times