HANOI, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam mulled upgrading runways at Noi Bai international airport in Hanoi and Tan Son Nhat international airport in Ho Chi Minh City, to ensure aviation safety, the Transport Ministry said on Thursday.
The ministry has proposed the government allocate funds of 4.4 trillion Vietnamese dong (193.8 million U.S. dollars) to repair and upgrade the runways, and improve their security fence systems.
The overloading of the runways has led to cracks and subsidence, the ministry said, adding that the two airports will receive larger aircraft in the near future.
The Noi Bai international airport annually serves 26 million passengers, and Tan Son Nhat international airport 38 million passengers.
Vietnam's aviation industry served 24.6 million passengers in the first half of this year, up 15.2 percent on-year, and transported 176,400 tons of cargoes, up 14.8 percent, according to the General Statistics Office.