Gia Lam Airport () is an airport in
Hanoi
Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...
,
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, located in
Long Biên District
Long may refer to:
Measurement
* Long, characteristic of something of great duration
* Long, characteristic of something of great length
* Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate
* Longa (music), note value in early music mens ...
, on the eastern bank of the
Red River. It is primarily a military field, used by the
Vietnam People's Air Force
The Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF, ), formally refers itself as the Air Defence - Air Force (ADAF, ) or the Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF, ), is the aerial warfare service branch of Vietnam. It is the successor of the former North Vietnamese ...
(VPAF), with
MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nickn ...
fighters and
Kamov Ka-28
The Kamov Ka-27 (NATO reporting name 'Helix') is a military helicopter developed for the Soviet Navy, and currently in service in various countries including Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, China, South Korea, and India. Variants include the Ka-29 a ...
helicopters stored in
revetments. The airfield was inaugurated in 1936, before the Japanese occupation of
French Indochina
French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...
. The airport is currently used for military training activities, as well as for chartered helicopter taxi flights for tourists visiting nearby attractions such as
Ha Long Bay
Ha may refer to:
Agencies and organizations
* Health authority
* Hells Angels Motorcycle Club
* Highways Agency (now ''National Highways''), UK government body maintaining England's major roads
* Homelessness Australia, peak body organisation ...
. There are plans to convert Gia Lam to a civilian airport, serving short flights to and from locations in
Northern Vietnam
Northern Vietnam ( vi, Bắc Bộ) is one of three geographical regions within Vietnam. It consists of three administrative regions: the Northwest (Vùng Tây Bắc), the Northeast (Vùng Đông Bắc), and the Red River Delta (Đồng Bằng S ...
.
History
1936–40
Gia Lam Airfield (french: Aérogare de Gia Lam, links=no) was built in , according to an
urban plan laid out by French architect
Ernest Hébrard over a decade earlier. Hébrard was hired by the city of Hanoi's Urban Planning and Architecture Services department in 1923 to supervise a number of
urban renewal
Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...
projects,
including a new industrial area in
Gia Lâm District
Gia Lâm is the easternmost rural district (''huyện'') of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. Prior to 2003, the district covered the entire area of Long Biên district, which included Long Biên Bridge, Gia Lâm Airport, Gia Lâm railway stat ...
, on the eastern bank of the
Red River. Hébrard's plan for Gia Lam included a renovated
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...
, along with space for factories, industrial establishments, and the new airfield. Upon its completion, it was one of two major airfields in the Hanoi area, the other being the (now-disused)
Bach Mai Airfield. The airfield itself was constructed according to a design by French architect Félix Godard.
1940–46
On September 26, 1940, as part of the
Invasion of French Indochina
The was a short undeclared military confrontation between Japan and France in northern French Indochina. Fighting lasted from 22 to 26 September 1940; the same time as the Battle of South Guangxi in the Sino-Japanese War, which was the main ...
, Japanese forces took possession of the airfield, maintaining control throughout
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, until their surrender to the
Việt Minh
The Việt Minh (; abbreviated from , chữ Nôm and Hán tự: ; french: Ligue pour l'indépendance du Viêt Nam, ) was a national independence coalition formed at Pác Bó by Hồ Chí Minh on 19 May 1941. Also known as the Việt Minh Fro ...
during the
August Revolution
The August Revolution ( vi, Cách-mạng tháng Tám), also known as the August General Uprising (), was a revolution launched by the Việt Minh (League for the Independence of Vietnam) against the Empire of Vietnam and the Empire of Japan in ...
. Soon afterwards, the
Democratic Republic of Vietnam
North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...
was proclaimed, with Việt Minh leader
Hồ Chí Minh
(: ; born ; 19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969), commonly known as ('Uncle Hồ'), also known as ('President Hồ'), (' Old father of the people') and by other aliases, was a Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman. He served as Pri ...
as head of government. France initially accepted the new government, but this position changed when negotiations about the future of Vietnam as a state within the French Union collapsed. Guerrilla fighting began between Việt Minh fighters and the French, and on December 19, 1946, in response to attacks on French installations in and around Hanoi, French troops re-occupied the airfield.
[GlobalSecurity.org: First Indochina War](_blank)
Accessed 4 May 2010.
First Indochina War
Gia Lam and Bach Mai later became the two major logistics bases supporting French operations at the
Battle of Dien Bien Phu. Much of the equipment sent to the remote French military base at Dien Bien Phu passed through Gia Lam airfield, including the ten French
M24 Chaffee tanks assigned to the isolated stronghold in northwestern Vietnam, which were each dismantled into 180 individual parts and flown to Dien Bien Phu on heavy cargo aircraft. After their defeat at Dien Bien Phu and the following 1954 Geneva Peace Accords, French forces, obliged to leave Vietnam, handed over the airfield to the Viet Minh. Gia Lam airfield was thereafter taken over by Ho Chi Minh's North Vietnamese government and used by the VPAF as their main airbase in the Hanoi area.
Vietnam War
![USAF POWs repatriated Gia Lam](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/USAF_POWs_repatriated_Gia_Lam.jpg)
During the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
, the American
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...
placed Gia Lam on a list of 94 recommended bombing targets in
North Vietnam
North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...
, identifying it as a major airbase and as a storage location for petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL).
All North Vietnamese airfields were removed from the USAF's "restricted target" list in April 1967, and Gia Lam was one of six deemed suitable for fast jet operations. As a result, it sustained heavy damage as part of
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was a gradual and sustained aerial bombardment campaign conducted by the United States (U.S.) 2nd Air Division (later Seventh Air Force), U.S. Navy, and Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) against the Democratic R ...
, suffering repeated bomber attacks.
Following the cease-fire mandated by the
Paris Peace Accords in January 1973, Gia Lam was the site of
Operation Homecoming
Operation Homecoming was the return of 591 American prisoners of war (POWs) held by North Vietnam following the Paris Peace Accords that ended U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
Operation
On January 27, 1973, Henry Kissinger (then assistant ...
, the return of American
POWs held by the North Vietnamese. The first repatriation, effected by the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
's
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command (MAC) is an inactive United States Air Force major command (MAJCOM) that was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Established on 1 January 1966, MAC was the primary strategic airlift organization of th ...
, happened on February 12, 1973, when
C-141
The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter is a retired military strategic airlifter that served with the Military Air Transport Service (MATS), its successor organization the Military Airlift Command (MAC), and finally the Air Mobility Command (AMC) of the ...
s of the
63d Military Airlift Wing, flying from
Clark Air Base in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, flew to Gia Lam and returned with a total of 116 former POWs.
[The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia: Tactical Airlift, Ray L. Bowers, 1983.; Department of the Air Force History office] The first C-141 to return came to be known as the ''
Hanoi Taxi'', named after the writing on the flight engineer's panel by the POWs aboard the plane for the freedom flight. Arizona Senator
John McCain was one of the POWs who flew home from Gia Lam on the ''Hanoi Taxi''. From February 12 to April 4, there were 54 C-141 missions flying out of Hanoi, bringing the former POWs home.
Facilities
At one time, the headquarters of national
flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transport company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given sovereign state, enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by the government for international operations.
Hi ...
Vietnam Airlines were located at Gia Lam Airport.
["Directory: World Airlines." '']Flight International
''Flight International'' is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", it is the world's old ...
''. 30 March-5 April 2004
92
Retrieved on 21 December 2010. "VIETNAM AIRLINES N(HVN) Gialem Airport, Hanoi, Vietnam."
Former airlines and destinations (until 1978)
Incidents and accidents
On April 8, 2008, a Soviet-built
Antonov An-26
The Antonov An-26 ( NATO reporting name: Curl) is a twin-engined turboprop civilian and military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the Soviet Union from 1969 to 1986.Gordon, Yefim. Komissarov, Dmitry & Sergey. "Antonov's Turboprop Tw ...
turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. ...
aircraft on a training mission crashed into a field in
Thanh Trì District, in the outskirts of Hanoi, killing five Vietnamese military pilots. The plane took off from Gia Lam Airport, and crashed on its way back. The cause of the accident was unknown. A Vietnamese military official who declined to be named said the plane belonged to Vietnam's 918 Air Transport Regiment.
Upcoming renovations
Because of its proximity to the center of Hanoi compared to
Noi Bai International Airport
Nội Bài International Airport ( vi, Sân bay quốc tế Nội Bài) in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is the second largest and busiest airport for passenger traffic, after Tan Son Nhat International Airport. It is currently the main airpo ...
, part of Gia Lam Airport is expected to become a civilian airport in the near future, reserved for regional domestic airlines.
This would allow passengers flying on short-haul flights, such as from Hanoi to
Điện Biên,
Vinh
Vinh () is the biggest city and economic and cultural center of north-central Vietnam. Vinh is the capital of Nghệ An Province, and is a key point in the East–West economic corridor linking Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. The city is ...
, or
Nà Sản Airport in the northern province of
Sơn La
Sơn La (; Tai Dam: ) is a city in the north-west region of Vietnam. It is the capital of Sơn La Province. It is bordered by Thuận Châu District, Mường La District, and Mai Sơn District.
History
In the era of the Sip Song Chau Tai, S ...
, to depart from Gia Lam airport, only 10 minutes away from the centre of Hanoi, rather than
Noi Bai
Nội Bài International Airport ( vi, Sân bay quốc tế Nội Bài) in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is the second largest and busiest airport for passenger traffic, after Tan Son Nhat International Airport. It is currently the main airpo ...
airport, which is located about an hour's drive away from the city.
The airport would retain military uses.
[Momberger Airport Information, No. 876](_blank)
by Air Trans Source Inc. 10 March 2010. Accessed on 3 May 2010.
Gia Lam's 2000 m by 45 m runway is suitable for small, short-haul aircraft such as
ATR 72
The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner developed and produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR (french: Avions de transport régional or it, Aerei da Trasporto Regionale), a joint venture formed ...
twin-turboprops or
Fokker 70 jets,
which are already operated by
Vietnam Airlines as part of their fleet. Under the approved development plan, the parking yard will be upgraded to receive three ATR 72 or Fokker 70 aircraft by 2015, increasing to five by 2025. Its annual capacity is projected to be 162,000 passengers in 2015, increasing further to 300,000 passengers by 2025.
The airport will be about the same size as Na San and Dien Bien airports, and will not be able to receive larger Airbus or Boeing aircraft, which will continue to be received at Noi Bai.
The renovations, which would allow the airport to meet the standards of the
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...
,
are estimated to cost
VND 287 billion (US$17.3
million).
These include: building a new parking yard covering in 2015 and by 2025; building the new terminal, which is expected to serve 270 passengers an hour during peak hours; and other adjustments such as the expansion of Nguyen Son road, which is the main route into the airport from the city. The renovated airport would be managed by the Northern Airport
Administration.
References
{{authority control
Buildings and structures in Hanoi
Airports in Vietnam
Installations of the Vietnam People's Air Force
Transport in Hanoi