LONG THANH AIRPORT SET FOR COMMERCIAL LAUNCH IN LATE 2026

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh gestures during his site inspection of the Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province on March 29 - PHOTO: VNA

HCMC – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered construction to be expedited to ensure Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province begins commercial operations in the fourth quarter of this year during the site inspection on March 29.

All construction work must be finalized no later than September this year to meet this deadline.

The project’s Component 3, featuring 145 packages, has reached around 74% of its contract value, with VND64.1 trillion in executed volume. Key infrastructure, including the air traffic control center, runways and taxiways, is complete. The passenger terminal is now in its finishing stages, with equipment such as baggage conveyors and jet bridges currently being installed, according to the Long Thanh International Airport Project Management Board.

Despite the progress, the big-ticket project faces significant headwinds. Labor shortages remain a primary concern, with the workforce currently at 9,000, against a peak demand of 14,000. Harsh weather conditions and dust have led to high turnover among technical staff. Furthermore, global geopolitical tensions have driven up fuel and material costs, while inspection and payment processes for several packages have been stalled since earlier this year pending regulatory guidance.

To ensure synchronized operations, the PM also directed ministries to accelerate connecting transport infrastructure, including the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau and Ben Luc-Long Thanh expressways, as well as the extension of Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line to Long Thanh airport.

Long Thanh International Airport has a total investment of VND336.63 trillion. Once all phases are completed, the airport would be able to handle 100 million passengers and five million tons of cargo annually.

Source: The Saigon Times