Lien Khuong International Airport (Da Lat) will temporarily cease accepting all flights. According to the official decision of the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport No. 1530/QD-BGTVT, flights will be completely suspended for the period from March 4 to August 25, 2026.
The main reason for the closure is the emergency condition of the only runway. It has been in operation without major repairs since 2007 and has completely exhausted its resource during this time. Numerous cracks and areas of asphalt flaking have been recorded on the surface, which poses a direct safety threat: small debris from the surface can get into aircraft engines.
The situation became critical after Lien Khuong received international airport status in June 2024. The load increased sharply, and the old runway was not designed for heavy aircraft performing international flights. The reconstruction will increase the runway's load-bearing capacity to the world standards of category 4E, so that Da Lat can accommodate aircraft such as Boeing 787 and Airbus A350.
This modernization will be the foundation for the future expansion of the airport. By 2030, the authorities plan to increase the airport's capacity from the current 2 million to 5 million passengers per year. A key part of the project will be the construction of a new passenger terminal T2. It will be completely dedicated to international flights, while the existing terminal T1 will focus on domestic services.
During the work, airlines are redistributing flights. To compensate for the closure of Da Lat, carriers are increasing the number of departures to neighboring cities: Nha Trang (Cam Ranh Airport), Buon Ma Thuot, and Pleiku. The most convenient alternative route for a trip to Da Lat remains a flight to Nha Trang with a subsequent ground transfer, which takes about 4 hours.
Passengers whose flights have been canceled due to repairs are entitled to a full refund of the ticket price or a free rebooking of the departure to alternative airports.