Lien Khuong International Airport: Gateway to Dalat, Vietnam

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Where is location of Lien Khuong International Airport?

Lien Khuong International Airport is located about 30 km South of city centre of Dalat, and usually called Dalat Airport. Since its recently renovation in 2009, Lien Khuong Airport has grown into the second largest airport in the South of Vietnam, only after Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Located conveniently on Highway 22, you can get to the airport by most vehicles. A car or taxi ride takes about 30-40 minutes from the city centre to the airport, depending on traffic.

Location: Highwway 22, Duc Trong District, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam
Lien Khuong International Airport Code:
IATA (International Air Transport Association) code: DLI
ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) code: VVDL

History and formation of Lien Khuong International airport:

The French colonists first built Lien Khuong Airport in 1933 with a 700-meter-long soil runway. The terminal was designed with French architecture, with three stories. From 1956 – 1960, American army reconstructed and upgraded Lien Khuong Airport with rather completed facilities. The terminal had a capacity of 50,000 passengers per year or about 120 passengers/peak hour.

In 1957 there was a commercial flight 5 days a week from Saigon to Dalat operated by Air Vietnam utilising a Douglas DC-3. The flight continued from Dalat to Banmethuot and then other cities before reversing its route. By 1962 the frequency had increased to 2 flights per day. In 1969, they replaced the DC-3 planes by DC-4s. And an additional flight per day was added to the schedule. By 1972 the frequency was 1 flight per day utilising DC-3 and DC-4s.

During 1964–1972, the runway, apron, packing, access roads went through improvement and reinforcement. They refaced the runway with asphalt from 8–10 cm in depth. As a result of this improvement, the runway reached 1,480 m long and 37 m wide, the apron was 23,100 square meters, apron of 2,106 square meters, access road was 2,100 meters long.

Following the unification of Vietnam on 30 April 1975 until 1980. The Vietnam People’s Army controlled and operated this airport. The airport was mainly for high ranking governmental leaders on business and lifting residents from northern Vietnam to Lâm Đồng. From 1981 to 1985 Lien Khuong Airport was for civil service flights with Ho Chi Minh City – Lien Khuong route (one flight weekly) on Yak-40 aircraft. But later airlines suspended all civil flights due to low passenger traffic.

From 1992 Lien Khuong Airport continued its civil services with Ho Chi Minh – Lien Khuong, and Huế – Lien Khuong on Yak-40. It was later replaced by ATR 72. The Huế – Lieng Khuong was later suspended. Since October 2004, this airport has served more air link with Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport with Fokker 70 aircraft. As of December 2009, there are two daily flights to Ho Chi Minh City, one flight daily to Hanoi.

How to Get Lien Khuong Airport to/from Dalat city center?

A number of taxis will be waiting for you outside of the arrival gate. The most popular names including Phuong Trang, Thang Loi and Mai Linh. One way travel from the airport to downtown of Dalat should not cost more than VND 200,000 (or $10). In front of the luggage pick-up lounge of the airport. You can also reserve for the airport transfer service to the city. Take the receipt with you and show it to the taxi driver as you exit the airport.

Shuttle bus runs frequently to pick up passengers flying from Noi Bai International Airport and Tan Son Nhat International Airport. You can buy shuttle bus ticket for VND 40,000 (or $2) from the same ticket booth. That is just in front of the luggage pick-up area of the airport. You can also book private car or motorbike taxi when you travel to Dalat Airport.