Movement after 7 times the Prime Minister came with the request "if the job is not done, change people"

Since the Prime Minister inspected and directly directed the construction site seven times, it has come alive. An ultimatum was given: “If the progress is not guaranteed, replace the person.”

Promised to do, committed to do

Long Thanh International Airport (Long Thanh Airport) has been in the development planning and investment project since 1997. More than 20 years later, on January 5, 2021, the project officially started phase 1, expected to be put into operation in 2025. After completion of construction, Long Thanh Airport will be the largest airport in the country with a designed capacity to serve 100 million passengers and 25 million tons of cargo per year.

After more than 2 years of construction (since January 5, 2021), the Long Thanh Airport super project is behind schedule.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspected the construction site of Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province on January 29, 2023 and gave strong instructions. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Faced with the above situation, on the first working days of 2023, the 8th day of the Lunar New Year (January 29, 2023), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh led a Government delegation to directly inspect the construction site of Long Thanh Airport project.

At that time, the passenger terminal project was identified as the "critical path" of the entire Long Thanh airport project, but the first bid was canceled and was being re-bid for the second time. The project site was still "unfinished", resettlement areas were not yet completed for people to move in, and construction of some schools was stopped...

At the inspection, the Prime Minister expressed his disappointment: "A year ago, I inspected the project implementation and gave instructions to resolve problems and difficulties, but in reality, the change is still not as expected."

The Prime Minister emphasized that if it cannot be done, it must be said from the beginning: "If you promise, you must do it. If you commit, you must fulfill it."

Right at the meeting, the Prime Minister requested the establishment of a Government Working Group to urge, inspect, and coordinate the work; assigned Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha as the Head of the Group with the participation of leaders of relevant ministries. After that, important work such as: Package 5.10 for construction of passenger terminal; construction and installation of equipment for runways, taxiways, aircraft parking lots;... were promptly deployed.

7 tests, obvious changes…

On the afternoon of March 20, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh led a Central working delegation to the Long Thanh Airport construction site to inspect the project's progress.

This is the seventh time the head of the Government has inspected the site of this project. Previously, the Prime Minister inspected the site six times and held meetings to direct the project implementation on the occasion of Tet in 2022, 2023, 2024, September 2024, December 2024, and the most recent time was on the morning of February 1, 2025 (ie the 4th day of the Lunar New Year of At Ty in 2025).

After 7 inspections and progress monitoring, the work has made much progress compared to the previous inspection (early February 2025), and the shape of the airport is quite clear.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspected the construction site of several key transport infrastructure projects, including Long Thanh International Airport, Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway, and T1 and T2 routes connecting Long Thanh Airport with National Highway 51 and Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway yesterday, March 20, 2025. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Regarding progress, according to reports from agencies, for component project 1 (headquarters of state management agencies), the headquarters of the airport, customs, immigration, and local police have all started construction, while the headquarters of the animal/plant quarantine agency (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) is expected to start construction before May 2025.

Component 2 project (works serving flight management) includes 2 main items: air traffic control tower and specialized equipment. The air traffic control tower has completed the rough construction, is installing steel structure on the top of the tower, expected to be completed on April 30, 2025. Regarding specialized equipment, all construction work will be completed in June 2025 and installation will begin in September 2025; trial run from October to December 2025, put into operation from December 2025.

Regarding component project 3 (essential works in the airport with a total investment of VND 99,000 billion - accounting for the majority of the total investment of the entire project), the total value of the implemented volume has reached nearly 40%; basically completed 3/14 bidding packages, implementing construction of 8/11 packages; selecting construction contractors for 3/11 packages.

Of which, for package 5.10 alone (passenger terminal - the heart of the airport), the construction output reached 35.36%, basically completing the project in 2025.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspected, urged, continued to grasp, remove difficulties and obstacles, and promote the progress of the Long Thanh International Airport project on February 1, 2025 (the 4th day of the Lunar New Year). Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

As for runways, taxiways, and aircraft parking lots, the construction volume has reached 76.34%; it is expected to complete and put the runways and taxiways into technical operation before April 30, 2025.

For component project 4, investors have been selected to implement 6/6 priority investment items including 2 catering areas, 2 areas for ship cleaning and ground service vehicle maintenance, and 2 areas for aircraft maintenance.

Also in the working session with relevant parties on the evening of March 20, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh continued to direct ministries, branches, localities and relevant parties to focus on resolving difficulties and speeding up progress in the spirit of "only discussing work, not backtracking", "overcoming the sun, overcoming the rain", "working overtime, increasing shifts", "eating quickly, sleeping urgently", "not enough work during the day, working at night", "working in 3 shifts, 4 shifts, through holidays, through Tet".

At the same time, the head of the Government once again reiterated the goal of basically completing Long Thanh airport by December 31, 2025 at the latest. If the progress is not guaranteed, the person will be replaced. At the same time, when the airport is completed, the connecting traffic projects must also be completed.

…and the importance of the project

It is no coincidence that this project has received so much attention, because Long Thanh Airport is built on an area of ​​nearly 5,000 hectares in Long Thanh District, Dong Nai Province. With a designed capacity to serve 100 million passengers and 25 million tons of cargo per year, Long Thanh will be the largest and most modern airport in Vietnam upon completion.

Long Thanh Airport is built with the goal of becoming a level 4F airport according to ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) classification, aiming to become one of the international aviation transit centers in the region.

The passenger terminal is considered the "heart" of Long Thanh airport with the lotus image used throughout the design process. Photo: baochinhphu.vn

Due to its prime location in the heart of Southeast Asia, the emergence of Long Thanh Airport contributes to turning Vietnam into a strategic connection point on the aviation map of Southeast Asia and the world.

With its large scale and important significance to the socio-economic development, security and defense not only of Dong Nai, the provinces of the Southern Key Economic Zone but also of the whole country, this project receives special attention.

The Prime Minister once said: "The investment policy to build Long Thanh International Airport has received special attention from the Party and State, and people are looking forward to the project."

Recalling the year 2021, when Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces were struggling to fight the Covid-19 epidemic. The head of the Government on August 26-27 visited the hottest spots of the epidemic in Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong, observing, listening, and paying close attention to the smallest details. For many people, the most profound, impressive, and emotional image was the image of the Prime Minister's dark khaki shirt. Along his journey during the days at the epicenter, the dark sweat on that thick blue shirt gradually became darker and darker, spreading until it was almost completely soaked.

The Prime Minister rejoices with workers and laborers at the Long Thanh Airport project. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Also in that image, the head of the Government brings enthusiasm and a spirit of working tirelessly and urgently to overcome the deadlock, encouraging the spirit of contractors, workers and laborers at the construction sites of the super project - Long Thanh Airport.

It can be seen that there has never been a project in Vietnam where the Prime Minister has directly come to the site and directed the work up to 7 times. And certainly, the progress inspection of this project will not stop until the end of this year. In the coming time, there will continue to be strong instructions and progress urging from the Government and the National Assembly.

This determination does not simply come from the scale of the project but from the determination of the Party, State and Government of Vietnam. It demonstrates the strong expectations for the country's development and the nation's aspiration to rise up.

Not only paying attention to the project progress, each time he inspected Long Thanh Airport, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also directly visited, gave gifts, interacted with, and encouraged cadres, workers, and laborers in the project area.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/san-bay-long-thanh-chuyen-dong-sau-7-lan-thu-tuong-den-voi-yeu-cau-khong-xong-viec-thay-nguoi-379340.html