Capacity Pressures and the Case for Greenfield Airports
As aviation demand in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East continues to outpace legacy infrastructure, greenfield airports are re-emerging as a strategic response to long-term capacity constraints that cannot be fully resolved through incremental expansion or optimisation alone. This session examines the economic, operational, and governance logic behind new airport developments, drawing on first-hand experience from some of the world’s most ambitious greenfield projects. The discussion will explore how greenfield airports are conceived as long-horizon national assets, how they are designed to accommodate uncertainty in demand, technology, and regulation, and how early decisions on layout, phasing, and surface access can fundamentally shape long-term performance and resilience. Speakers will also reflect on the trade-offs between speed, flexibility, and capital intensity, the interaction between greenfield developments and existing airport systems, and the policy conditions required to ensure that new airports genuinely support connectivity, competitiveness, and shared prosperity rather than simply adding capacity.
Speakers (2)
Nguyen Duc Hung
Deputy General Director in charge of the Board of Management, Airports Corporation of Vietnam - ACV
