Ho Chi Minh City authorities are planning seven bus routes linking major urban hubs to Long Thanh International Airport ahead of its scheduled opening in June, as officials seek to expand public transport access to the new aviation gateway.
The proposal, being developed by the city’s Public Transport Management Centre under the Department of Construction, comes as key expressway and rail connections to the airport remain under construction.
Located in neighboring Dong Nai province, about 40 km east of central Ho Chi Minh City, Long Thanh airport is expected to initially handle a large share of passengers from Vietnam’s commercial hub.
Pham Ngoc Dung, director of the transport center, said the draft plan includes seven routes connecting the airport with major transport interchanges and surrounding economic zones.
Three routes would originate from Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the new Eastern Bus Station, and Sai Gon Bus Station to facilitate passenger transfers across the city.
Two additional routes are proposed from areas formerly part of Binh Duong province and two from areas previously under Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, which were merged into Ho Chi Minh City last year following administrative restructuring.
City authorities are also coordinating with Dong Nai province to finalize route alignments, vehicle types, and operating models, including whether operators will be selected through direct appointment or competitive bidding. Planned services are expected to prioritize expressway corridors to reduce travel times.
Officials said infrastructure needed to support bus operations around the airport has largely been prepared, raising the possibility that services could begin when the airport starts commercial operations.
Long Thanh International Airport is a major national infrastructure project spanning nearly 5,000 hectares, with a total investment estimated at approximately VND337 trillion (approximately US$12.98 billion). Several first-phase components were completed by late 2025, and the airport is scheduled to begin commercial operations in June 2026.
Current access to the airport relies mainly on the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway and National Highways 1 and 51, while longer-term metro and railway links between central Ho Chi Minh City and the airport area remain under development.
