4 New international airports opening this year

VAN DON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, VIETNAM

Kicking off the year in airport openings (OK, it technically opened the last weekend of 2018) is Van Don International, 50km away from beautiful Ha Long Bay in northern Vietnam’s Quang Ninh Province. The airport is connected to Ha Long City by a new four-lane, 60km highway. The airport can handle 2.5 million passengers annually, which could increase to five million by 2030. vdia.com.vn

RAMON AIRPORT, ISRAEL Officially opened on January 21, 2019, Ramon Airport (ETM) is 18km from the resort town of Eilat in southern Israel. The annual passenger capacity is two million visitors, and will expand to 4.2 million by 2030. It has space for 60 planes, including wide-body aircraft. It runs scheduled domestic flights from Tel Aviv and Haifa, and some international flights from Europe and Russia. ramon-airport.com

ISTANBUL AIRPORT, TURKEY Currently running some regional flights, the new Istanbul Airport is set to have its full official opening in March 2019. The airport covers an area of 23 million sqm and is planned to become the main international airport serving Istanbul. It will eventually be able to handle 200 million passengers a year once all the phases are completed. istanbulhavalimani.com

BEIJING DAXING INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, CHINA Situated in the south of the city, Beijing Daxing International Airport is the capital’s second international airport. Construction is expected to finish by the end of June, and the 700,000 sqm terminal is set to open in September this year. The annual passenger capacity will be 72 million during the initial stages, and the figure could rise to 100 million when it’s fully operational.