'Many runways are only temporarily damaged, affecting flight safety'

At some ports, runways and taxiways with asphalt concrete structures have expired and are often damaged such as peeling, cracking, etc., affecting operational safety.

Some road repairs only temporarily handle the damage above, but have not completely handled the damage below the structural layers. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

A series of asphalt concrete runways have expired. Repairs can only temporarily handle the damage above, but cannot completely handle the damage below the structural layers, affecting operations and threatening flight safety.

In the report summarizing 5 years of implementation of the Project on assignment, management, use and exploitation of aviation infrastructure assets invested and managed by the State, Mr. Tran Anh Vu, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Airports Corporation (ACV) said that in the period of 2021-2025, there are 353 periodic repair items with a total estimated cost of 4,218.1 billion VND (including repair of Vinh and Lien Khuong runways).

During the implementation of these items, ACV and its units promptly resolved damage to aviation infrastructure assets at the ports, contributing to ensuring security and safety of flight operations; the coordination mechanism between state-owned enterprises and state management agencies has been increasingly improved, contributing to ensuring accelerated progress; regular maintenance, periodic and unscheduled repairs have helped maintain the continuous operation of airports.

However, Mr. Vu also acknowledged that currently, at some ports with runways and taxiways with asphalt concrete structures that have expired (Buon Ma Thuot, Tho Xuan, Phu Cat...), damage such as peeling and cracking often appears, affecting operational safety. During the process of exploitation and use, damage has appeared, affecting operations and threatening flight safety.

In addition, the systems and equipment that ensure flight operations have been put into operation many years ago, are past their useful life, and are currently in a state of degradation and are frequently damaged, especially for systems and equipment that have been used for 20 years or more, manufacturers no longer produce replacement parts, leading to many difficulties in repairing and maintaining safe conditions for flight operations; especially during the rainy and stormy season, equipment systems often have problems, causing unsafe flight operations.

Airline planes take off and land at an airport in Vietnam. (Photo: Viet Hung/Vietnam+)

To ensure safe operations in recent years, ACV has proactively reported to the Ministry of Construction and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to include these items in the annual maintenance plan and carry out periodic repairs. However, the repairs only temporarily handle the damage above, not completely handling the damage below the structural layers.

On the other hand, due to the need to ensure operation, it is impossible to close the runway for thorough renovation, which can only be done every night for 6-7 hours. Therefore, the time from the end of the construction shift to putting the runway into operation is only 1-2 hours, and immediate operation will affect the formation of the strength of the repair structure layers, leading to damaged locations continuing to be damaged (especially in the critical areas of waiting for take-off/landing and turning around), reducing the life of the project and reducing the time needed for periodic repairs from 5 years to about 2-3 years depending on operating conditions.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has just decided to temporarily close Vinh Airport ( Nghe An province) to serve the construction project to repair the runway, wings and taxiway.

Although regularly urging airports to speed up the progress of asset maintenance and repair, however, ACV leaders admitted that the progress of projects is still slower than planned due to the slow investment preparation time for repair items at the airport, especially the survey step and preparation of technical economic reports which usually lasts 3-4 months; the process of implementing maintenance of aviation infrastructure managed by the State from the step of approving the investment preparation list to the time the Ministry of Construction approves the repair plan also takes a long time; unit price standards have not been updated...

Early investment and upgrading is necessary.

On that basis, ACV recommends that the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Finance consider reporting to the Government to soon issue a Decree regulating the management, use and exploitation of aviation infrastructure assets so that the corporation has a basis to continue implementing the management, use and exploitation of aviation infrastructure assets invested and managed by the State in accordance with regulations.

“While the State budget has not been able to allocate medium-term capital for investment according to the planning and to overcome the degradation of aviation infrastructure, the use of capital collected from take-off/landing fees to overcome investment difficulties has not been implemented due to improper capital expenditure, and although the ACV port operator has the resources to invest, it has not been able to implement part of it, affecting the quality of exploitation of aviation infrastructure assets,” ACV leaders admitted.

The list of urgent airport projects needs to be invested in and upgraded soon to improve the safety of flight operations. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

To ensure security, safety and increasingly improve the quality of operations at airports, ACV has coordinated with consultants to review the list of necessary projects to be invested in and upgraded soon at 12 airports with a total investment value of VND8,639-13,596 billion.

In addition, ACV proposed that the Ministry of Construction report to the Prime Minister to implement the plan to assign enterprises to manage, use and exploit aviation infrastructure assets according to the method of calculating the State capital component in enterprises so that ACV can be proactive in investing in renovation and upgrading at airports./.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/nhieu-duong-bang-chi-xu-ly-tam-thoi-hu-hong-anh-huong-den-an-toan-bay-5061998.html