Construction of Long Thanh International Airport officially began on January 5, 2021. After nearly five years of development, the project is now rapidly approaching completion, with preparations underway for its first technical test flight scheduled for December 15, 2025.
The first phase of the airport is scheduled to be inaugurated on December 19, 2025.
Bustling activity at the construction site
Present at the Long Thanh International Airport construction site last weekend, reporters of Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper observed a sense of urgency permeating the vast complex. Hundreds of vehicles transporting construction materials, along with shuttle buses carrying workers and engineers, moved in and out in constant flow.
Beyond the major construction works, such as the passenger terminal and runway, the site has also seen the arrival of specialized teams in telecommunications, information technology, airport operations software, passenger check-in systems, and operational training. These teams have been reinforced in recent days by Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the investor for Component Project 3, as preparations intensify for the airport’s transition into operational readiness.
Alongside technical construction, ACV has also deployed additional sanitation personnel to thoroughly clean the terminal area, apron, and runway. Specialized equipment has been brought in for dust removal and surface washing, ensuring the airport's readiness for the arrival of its first technical test flight.
Pham Van Thuan, 35, a Hanoi-based construction engineer of Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), said with visible enthusiasm that he has been involved in this project for more than three years. From the early days when the site was still cluttered and chaotic, many components have now moved ahead of schedule. The final tasks, such as cleaning and preparing the runway, are being completed at an accelerated pace as we work toward the day when aircraft will begin taking off from this airport.
According to ACV, work on Component Project 3 of Phase 1 of the Long Thanh International Airport development has entered its final stretch. Every division is racing to complete remaining workloads, effectively counting down to the airport’s first flight. All construction packages are now being executed simultaneously across the entire site, with round-the-clock operations carried out in multiple shifts, including weekends and public holidays.
Contractor consortia have mobilized hundreds of construction teams, involving more than 15,000 experts, engineers, workers, and staff, along with over 3,000 pieces of construction equipment. The accelerated effort aims to substantially complete the project by December 19, 2025, enabling operational readiness and commercial service in the first half of 2026, in accordance with directives from the Prime Minister.
The Long Thanh International Airport project carries a total investment of more than US$16 billion and is being built on a site covering 5,000 hectares. Once fully completed, the airport is designed to handle 100 million passengers and five million tons of cargo annually.
In its first phase, the project has an estimated investment of approximately US$4.7 billion, financed from the lawful capital of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV). Phase 1 construction spans more than 1,800 hectares, with a planned capacity of 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo per year.
Counting down the days
Following intensive efforts, Runway No. 1 at Long Thanh International Airport has been fully illuminated since the evening of December 11, marking a major step in preparations for the airport’s first technical test flight. The runway lighting system employs 100 percent LED technology imported from Europe, meeting the highest technical standards in international aviation.
Long Thanh Airport has also been equipped with a precision Instrument Landing System (ILS/DME), which guides aircraft during approach and landing, ensuring safe operations even in adverse weather conditions. Together, these systems operate in full integration to guarantee absolute accuracy and safety in takeoff and landing procedures under all weather conditions, while enhancing operational capacity and overall airport reliability.
According to Mr. Duong Quang Dien, Standing Deputy Head of the Long Thanh Airport Project Management Board, three of the project’s 15 construction packages have been completed. Of the remaining 12 packages currently under construction, many are accelerating toward completion. Notably, the passenger terminal, the most critical component of the project, has largely completed its structural works. Installation of terminal equipment, including baggage handling systems, security screening, escalators, moving walkways, and elevators, is being fast-tracked, with some systems already in place.
To ensure strict operational standards and test coordination among units, a technical test flight is scheduled for today, December 15, in preparation for the airport’s first official arrival at Long Thanh International Airport. Vietnam Airlines will operate a Code E aircraft, expected to be a Boeing 787, currently the largest aircraft in Vietnam, departing from Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, landing at Long Thanh Airport in Dong Nai Province, and then returning to Tan Son Nhat. The flight will carry the crew and technical personnel to oversee operations.
The first official commercial flight to Long Thanh International Airport is planned for December 19, with the route expected to operate from Noi Bai Airport to Long Thanh Airport and back to Noi Bai Airport.
On December 14, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, accompanied by a Government delegation, conducted an on-site inspection of the Long Thanh International Airport project. This marked the ninth time the Prime Minister has reviewed progress at the site.
During the inspection, the Prime Minister was briefed by the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) and the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation on plans to receive the airport’s first technical test flight, including procedures for aircraft landing operations. He also inspected the airport’s air traffic control tower. The Prime Minister later met with and encouraged engineers, workers, and other personnel currently engaged in construction at the site.
On the same day, the Prime Minister and his delegation also reviewed progress on the Bien Hoa–Vung Tau expressway project as it passes through Dong Nai Province.
