Long Thanh Airport to Commence Operations in Three Phases from December 1, 2026

Vietnam's Long Thanh International Airport has agreed to commence commercial operations in three phases, starting December 1, 2026. This agreement follows the acceptance of a proposal from the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam. The first phase, from December 1, 2026, to March 27, 2027 (Winter flight schedule), will see international flights, including cargo, khai thác at Long Thanh Airport based on airline demand. Phase two, spanning from March 28, 2027, to October 29, 2027, will involve the transfer of all long-haul international flights to and from Europe, the Americas, Oceania, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Central Asia to Long Thanh. By the third phase, corresponding to the Winter 2027 flight schedule (October 30, 2027, to March 25, 2028), all remaining international flights will be moved to Long Thanh, with the exception of short-haul routes under 1,000 km operated by Vietnamese airlines. Long Thanh will handle all international routes exceeding 1,000 km, irregular international flights, and new flights if Tan Son Nhat cannot accommodate them. For domestic routes, Vietnamese airlines will have the discretion to khai thác at Long Thanh based on their needs. The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam assesses that the khai thác plan proposed by ACV is built on the principle of gradual transition, aligning with the project's completion schedule, the airport's capacity, and the stability requirements of the southern airport system during the transition. This approach is broadly consistent with the investment objectives of Long Thanh International Airport's first phase and aligns with international flight schedule cycles, facilitating preparations for airlines and state management agencies. To ensure the airport operates as planned, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam has requested the Ministry of Construction to coordinate with relevant ministries and localities to fully staff the airport with personnel for state management functions, including customs, immigration, quarantine, and related forces. Additionally, it urges the People's Committees of Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai Province to accelerate the progress of connecting transport projects, organize public passenger transport routes between Long Thanh and Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding areas, and develop supporting services like accommodation, healthcare, logistics, and others for passengers, crews, and workers. While component projects at Long Thanh Airport are largely on schedule, the volume of work to be completed in the final months remains substantial. To avoid impacting the overall timeline, stakeholders are urged to prepare technical documentation and cooperate closely with authorities during inspections and evaluations. According to ACV, component project 3, encompassing the airfield, passenger terminal, cargo terminal, internal transport system, and technical infrastructure, is being rapidly completed for the December 1 khai thác start. A trial operation program is slated for September, October, and November. For component project 2 concerning flight operation support systems, the Air Traffic Management Corporation of Vietnam (VATM) reports that communication, navigation, surveillance systems, control towers, flight procedures, and specialized equipment are largely complete and undergoing trial operation and calibration. Following ACV's completion of the airport's overall power system connection, VATM is focused on laying technical and signal cables from the control tower to related facilities. Component project 1, including offices for state management agencies such as the Aviation Port Authority, Customs, Border Guard Police, and Immigration, is progressing in parallel. Facilities under component project 4, including two aircraft catering facilities, two ground commercial technical facilities, and two aircraft maintenance hangars, are also assessed to be on schedule and expected to be ready for commercial khai thác in December.