Changi Airports International (CAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Middle Airports Authority of Vietnam (MAA) to invest, develop and operate Phu Bai International Airport in the city of Hue. This marks the first time a foreign investor will be working exclusively with Vietnam’s aviation authority.

President S.R Nathan was the Guest-of-Honour at the signing of the MOU between Mr. Chow Kok Fong, Chief Executive Officer of CAI, and Mr. Hoang Thanh, Director General, Middle Airports Authority, Vietnam. President Nathan was accompanied by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, and Mr. Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry.

Phu Bai International Airport is located in the City of Hue, which was the capital of Vietnam between 1744 and 1945. It is ideally situated as the gateway to Thua Thien Hue Province and the Middle Region. Hue is best known for its historic monuments, and has earned itself a place in UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. In 2007, the central government announced Hue as the Festival City and intends to develop Hue over the next 3-5 years as the Festival City of tourism and cultural heritage of Vietnam. The airport currently handles more than 500,000 passengers per annum and was designated Vietnam’s fourth international airport in August 2007.

On the deal, Mr. Chow Kok Fong, Chief Executive Officer of CAI, said: “The airport is a critical component of Hue’s tourism infrastructure and will generate the kind of economic momentum which Hue deserves. Following this signing, we hope to work closely with the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) to finalize the detailed agreement as soon as possible. We want to share with our counterparts here our experience in developing and operating Changi over the past quarter of a century, in particular, our airport management processes and route development expertise in raising the number of international flights. With the right infrastructure and promotion of the tourism attractions here, there is no reason why the passenger volume in this airport should not treble within 5 years.”