Vietnam’s Sun Group and Singapore’s Changi Airports International (CAI) have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to manage Phu Quoc International Airport, transforming it into Vietnam’s first ‘airport destination’.
The agreement was signed on March 21st, with CAI serving as a design advisor, operational frameworks developer, systems implementer, and providing management and performance optimization after the airport comes online.
After completion, the airport is expected to have yearly capacity of 24 million passengers, which it hope to eventually expand to 50 million.
The airport is also hoped to boost Sun Group’s tourism and aviation network within Phu Quoc. The province is currently home to Corona Resort & Casino – which was granted permanent local gaming permission in November of last year.
The property is one of three which was can allow local gambling. The Grand Ho Tram Resort was also authorized, albeit under a five-year pilot program, while the under-construction Van Don integrated resort – under Sun Group’s wing – will also benefit from the program once open.
Sun Group also operates ‘the first luxury airline in Vietnam’, Sun Air, providing private jet management and air charter services, as well as Sun PhuQuoc Airways, a leisure ‘resort airline’ that commenced operations in November of last year.
Speaking of the new partnership, CAI CEO Eugene Gan noted that “We are impressed by Sun Group’s vision for developing Phu Quoc as the next upcoming travel destination. Its integrated tourism and entertainment eco-system provides a strong foundation for the long-term development of Phu Quoc International Airport as a key gateway for the island”.
