Inter-regional Logistics Corridors: Creating Sustainable Supply Chains

The Vital Role of Aviation Gateways

In the economy, transport gateways such as airports play a unique role. They are not just points of departure and arrival for passengers or goods, but also the convergence points for flows of trade, investment, and tourism. The operational efficiency of these gateways directly impacts logistics costs, corporate competitiveness, and regional attractiveness.

For instance, in Hanoi, the intersection of international trade flows passes through the Noi Bai gateway, extending to inter-regional corridor axes and major industrial hubs in Bac Ninh, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, and Vinh Phuc. Millions of tons of cargo pass through this airport and surrounding logistics centers annually before being distributed to domestic and international markets.

According to Mr. Ha, increasing airport efficiency and reducing congestion will improve the public experience and strengthen the region's international connectivity. Simultaneously, it is essential to ensure the stable and continuous operation of aviation and logistics gateways to enhance resilience and supply chain security amidst global fluctuations.

"However, a modern airport terminal with trillions of VND in investment will see a decline in efficiency if goods leaving the gateway are bottlenecked on roads or lack storage and processing yards," the CEO of Vietnam Airlines emphasized.

Connecting "Hard" and "Soft" Infrastructure

Therefore, airports like Noi Bai and others in the region must be closely linked in the future with hubs like ICD Long Bien and inter-regional transport axes (such as Ring Road 3.5 and Ring Road 4) to form a closed-loop supply chain. These hubs serve as transit and distribution points, moving goods from airports to industrial zones, seaports, or domestic consumer markets.

When effectively connected, logistics centers can help reduce operational pressure at aviation gateways while optimizing the cargo transit process, ensuring seamlessness and synchronization. This leads to the potential reduction of logistics costs, which currently account for 16-17% of GDP, significantly higher than the global average of about 10-11%.

The President of VLA evaluated that the biggest challenge for the logistics industry today does not lie in planning blueprints or new construction, but in execution and synchronization. From a logistics perspective, three factors are emphasized: connectivity – synchronization – operation.

"If individual projects perform well but lack inter-regional coordination, data sharing, and common operational standards, the chain's efficiency cannot be optimized," Mr. Khoa analyzed.

Regarding this issue, Mr. Le Hong Ha suggested that it is necessary to monitor and accelerate the construction of Ring Road 3.5 and Ring Road 4 in the Capital Region to form logistics, industrial, and satellite urban axes. This must be accompanied by fostering coordination mechanisms between Hanoi and relevant provinces to ensure key milestones are met.

Mr. Ha also supports the development of high-volume public transport, particularly the Metro network, to reduce congestion, improve urban quality, and lower social costs.

Beyond "hard" infrastructure, the green transition must go hand-in-hand with building a "soft infrastructure" of data and digital standards. Sharing common data between aviation, inland container depots (ICDs), customs, and transport enterprises will create a smart system with better forecasting capabilities.

According to Vietnam Airlines leadership, the digitalization of urban traffic must be linked to ensuring data safety, protecting personal data, and cybersecurity, while preventing data misuse in the digital environment.