Long Thanh International Airport is expected to become the country’s primary international gateway while Tan Son Nhat shifts its focus to domestic and select shorthaul routes. Haptic Architects
Long Thanh International Airport is targeting the launch of commercial operations from 24 December 24 2026, as Vietnam prepares to open a major new gateway intended to ease congestion at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat airport.
The goal is to shift over 90% of all international passenger traffic to Long Thanh by late 2027/early 2028, establishing the new facility as Vietnam's primary international gateway while keeping Tan Son Nhat focused mostly on domestic and select shorthaul routes.
The final lap
The airport’s operator, Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), reported that essential infrastructure under Component 3 had reached approximately 86% completion by contract value as of 9 October.
Remaining priorities included the passenger terminal, internal roads, technical infrastructure, Cargo Terminal No. 1 and the car park.
Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer trials are scheduled in three rounds from September to December. They cover passenger services and ground connections, baggage handling, airside operations, and security, safety and IT systems, testing whether infrastructure, equipment and staff can work together before commercial services begin, VnEconomy reported on 6 October.
ACV’s subsequent update envisaged acceptance of key infrastructure in November, followed by completion of major regulatory and operational requirements in early December.
What we know about planned routes
Initial airline plans include a Long Thanh-Hanoi service and selected international routes from Vietnam Airlines, alongside domestic connections from Vietjet. Flight allocations and schedules are still being coordinated.
Plans are for domestic and select regional international services to commence at the new airport, before international flights transition progressively from Tan Son Nhat International Airport to Long Thanh.
In the initial phase, ACV’s plan allowed for up to approximately 366 flights a week, including 322 domestic and 44 international services.
Mega hub ambitions
When fully open, Long Thanh is expected to be Vietnam’s largest airport. The government says the three-phase project is ultimately planned to accommodate 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of cargo annually.
It will relieve pressure on Tan Son Nhat, meet growing air-travel and logistics demand, and strengthen Vietnam’s position as a regional transit and trade gateway.
Ground access will be an important early test. ACV says road transport will provide the main connection with Ho Chi Minh City and Tan Son Nhat initially, with the possible addition of rail links down the line.