The Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam will soon have a new terminal building for international passengers. The project, funded by Japanese official development assistance (ODA), has been undertaken by a joint venture of Japan’s Taisei Corp. and a local contractor, Vinaconex. Construction is now in full swing, aiming at completion within the year.

A 1km-long giant structure stands in the 550,000m2 area in the capital’s gateway. The package comprises the No.2 Terminal Building, elevated bridges, a taxi pool, fuel supply and sewer treatment facilities, a parking garage and airport equipment for check-in and baggage.

The work which started in February 2012 is to continue for 34 months. The period is considerably short for the 150,000m2 terminal building. Mr. Hiroyuki Atsuta, a senior manager of Taisei, who has track records at foreign airport construction in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Doha, Qatar, said that he made the best use of experiences and human resources gained through the earlier big projects.

It is very important to hire capable engineers and workers to deliver the best result at overseas construction, says Mr. Atsuta. 400 engineers and managers are currently at the site including 70 Japanese and 250 Vietnamese. Besides those who work at the site office permanently, more than 3,000 workers participate in the project daily. 30% of the workers are women, of whom Mr. Atsuta highly appreciates enthusiasm and capability. (2014/10/22)