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The Gia Bình Airport megaproject’s development is leaving local residents “confused, miserable, and in terrible shape…”

The Latest: Despite claims of “high consensus” from state media outlets such as Truyền thông Lương Tài , Truyền thông Gia Bình , and Bắc Ninh Television , residents facing relocation for the Gia Bình International Airport project report widespread confusion, delayed resettlement, and rising housing costs.

Interviews conducted by Luật Khoa Magazine with residents affected by Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the site clearance reveal a grave disparity between official propaganda and the realities on the ground.

Initial Interviews: The pressure is mounting as imminent deadlines approach with no clear infrastructure in place. Site clearance is divided into several phases:

Phase 1 clearance, covering the "APEC boundary" in Gia Bình commune (Thủ Pháp, Lương Pháp, Ngô Thôn, and Mỹ Thôn villages), concluded on June 20, 2026.

Regarding this, Mr. L. from Thủ Pháp village stated, "My family is still in temporary housing, renting a room in Gia Bình town. We have not been resettled yet."

Phase 2 , designated as "Outside the APEC boundary," is currently underway. Villages in Gia Bình commune must relocate before Aug. 15.

Mr. N. from Quỳnh Bội village noted that his entire village has received neither a resettlement area nor compensation. "Basically, there is nothing, but by Aug. 15 we have to hand over the land," he explained. Authorities promised a resettlement plan on July 15, but as of July 13, his family had received no information.

Mr. N. added, "People now have no voice. We have to follow along. How can we resist? If anyone refuses to move, they just impose it. In other villages, if you stay there and refuse to move, then they won’t compensate you, won’t give you the 100 million đồng ($3,800 USD), and won’t let you draw lots for land compensation. If you don’t go and don’t take a ticket, then that’s it.”

Lương Tài Commune Interviews: In Lương Tài commune, the villages of Tử Nê, Bái Giang, and Hương La face an Aug. 30 relocation deadline, with other villages scheduled between Aug. 30 and Dec. 30, 2026. Residents report a total lack of preparation:

Mrs. L. (Tử Nê village), whose family is scheduled to relocate on Aug. 30 said, "No one has been issued any tickets. No one in the whole village has received anything.”

Ms. T. (Tử Nê village) added, "We haven’t heard anything about the resettlement area. We only know the new resettlement area is in Trung Chính village [Lương Tài commune]. People say they are filling in the land there.”

Ms. Nh. (Tử Nê village) stated, "Officials say we have to move by Aug. 30, but there is no resettlement yet. We have not received anything. They say we should find a place to live first, and when the time comes, we have to move so they can take the land." "We heard they are leveling the resettlement land for us, but nothing is finished, so they have not handed it over. The resettlement area is still being filled in. There is no electricity or water. It will still be in the same commune, but farther away from the airport area.

"I have passed by the resettlement area and seen it. Every day, trucks bring soil from somewhere to fill it in for us; that’s all. But we still don’t know when resettlement will happen. It’s just talk. They said we would have resettlement by July 30, but it is still very uncertain. We don’t know,” Ms. Nh. added.

Housing Interviews: Compounding the crisis is a spike in local rental prices, prompting a wave of asset sales as families scramble for funds. In response, residents have created local Facebook groups to sell some belongings before relocation.

Ms. Nh. stated, "My family is searching for a small house, but the price is high.”

Mr. Ng. echoed this, stating, "My family is also searching for a house. We are miserable, going around trying to find one. Houses are charging very high prices now. Before, it was only 3 million or 4 million đồng. Now it is either 8 million or 10 million. People are suffering badly. Even an ordinary one-story house costs 5 million or 6 million. And there is only one month left before we have to hand over the land, but then we won’t have money. They have not paid people anything so they can rent a place."

Ms. Th. added, "A normal one-story house is already 5 million to 7 million đồng. Multi-story houses are all more than 10 million. And that is just monthly rent. Electricity and water are separate. Now if you work every month and also have to pay rent, you are finished."

The Megaproject: The Gia Bình International Airport is a megaproject that is reshaping urban planning across Bắc Ninh province.

Managed by the Ministry of Public Security, it is one of the fastest-moving airport developments in Việt Nam, despite its investment policy only receiving approval in mid-December 2025.

The initiative encompasses the airport itself alongside three related projects: resettlement zones, construction works for site clearance, and a direct road link.

With a total investment capital of approximately 196.378 trillion đồng and the Masterise Group acting as the investor , the project is divided into two construction phases (2025-2030 and 2031-2050) with the first two years focused on works serving the APEC 2027 summit.

To achieve this, the state is reclaiming nearly 1,960 hectares of land, affecting 118 organizations and roughly 7,100 households, with 5,800 of those households requiring resettlement.

Hoàng Nam wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on July 14, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights to the English translation.

Gia Bình Airport Project Relocations: Interviews with Affected Residents Contradict Government Claims of ‘High Consensus’

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