Can Tho Airport, located about 7 km from the city center, has been facing a significant decline in passenger numbers, with only 1-1.4 million travelers annually since 2019. Despite this, there are proposals to expand the existing airport and even construct a new one in the southeastern area of the city. This initiative is driven by the need to enhance access to the Trần Đề coastal area, which is being developed as a major maritime logistics hub.

The current airport, which was completed in 2011 with an investment of approximately 3 trillion VND, has a runway of 3 km and a capacity of 3-5 million passengers per year. However, it has not yet reached its full operational capacity, as it primarily serves domestic flights to cities like Hanoi, Da Nang, and Phu Quoc.

Consultants suggest that the existing airport's location is too far from the Trần Đề area, making it difficult to meet transportation demands within a 40-minute travel time. They propose three potential sites for a new airport: near the Trần Đề coastline, south of the former Soc Trang city, and approximately 30 km south of the current Can Tho Airport. The Trần Đề site is favored due to its proximity to the sea port and future road and rail connections.

Experts have raised concerns about the necessity of a new airport when the current one is underutilized. Dr. Trần Hữu Hiệp, Vice President of the Mekong Delta Tourism Association, emphasized the importance of maximizing the existing airport's capacity before considering new developments. He pointed out that the Ministry of Construction has allocated over 2.6 trillion VND for improvements to the current airport's runway and taxiways from 2026 to 2030.

Furthermore, Nguyen Phuong Lam, Director of the VCCI branch in the Mekong Delta, cautioned that the increasing convenience of road transport to Ho Chi Minh City may lead passengers to bypass Can Tho Airport altogether. He stressed that any plans for a new airport must be backed by solid evidence of passenger demand and cargo needs.

According to future urban planning, by 2050, Can Tho is expected to become a first-class city and a key growth center in the Mekong Delta, with a population of nearly 4.2 million people over an area of 6,360 km². As the region develops, the discussion around the necessity of a new airport will continue to evolve, especially with the anticipated growth of the Trần Đề deep-water port.