Aviation, services race to Long Thanh airport

Long Thanh International Airport is racing against time to complete phase 1 by 2026. Aviation and non-aviation service providers are also rushing to prepare for the new race at Long Thanh airport.

The intersection between the T2 connecting route, Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway and Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 - Photo: A LOC

Long Thanh International Airport is racing against time to complete phase 1 in 2026. The investor, Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), has taken drastic steps to ensure progress, with many items exceeding the original plan.

ACV is looking to use more than VND4,000 billion saved from contingency costs and bidding to build a second runway.

Speed ​​up construction progress

Speaking to Tuoi Tre, Mr. Nguyen Tien Viet, deputy general director of ACV, said that some items of the project are ahead of schedule compared to the original, which is good news for the "super airport".

Phase 1 of the project includes 4 component projects, of which component project 3 is the largest with a huge total investment capital and workload. ACV expects to complete the basic construction by the end of 2025, and test operation in August 2026.

Important items such as steel structures, brick walls and station roof support columns are being rapidly deployed.

The contract is now 30% complete, with the terminal equipment in production. This November, contractors will focus on completing the roof and installing the glass walls.

The runway, taxiway and apron projects, vital to the airport's operations, are expected to be completed by April 2026, three months ahead of schedule.

Notably, ACV is proposing to use VND4,000 billion saved from contingency costs and bidding to build a second runway for the Long Thanh airport project.

With an estimated investment cost of about 3,300 billion VND, according to Mr. Viet, the construction of this runway will not increase the total investment but will improve the efficiency of airport operations, ensuring stable operation even if an incident occurs with the first runway.

An airline representative said this was a reasonable decision, helping to make the most of current infrastructure.

If construction is carried out until the airport is operational, it will cause disruption, increase costs and impact the environment due to dust generated during construction.

Ancillary services are ready to go

According to records, not only ACV, but also aviation and non-aviation service providers are rushing to prepare for the new race at Long Thanh airport.

Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saigon Ground Services Joint Stock Company (SAGS), said that SAGS will form a joint venture with HGS, a business in the same field at Noi Bai airport, with a ratio of 75% and 25%, with a total capital of 781 billion VND, for the project to provide aviation equipment repair and maintenance services at Long Thanh airport.

Aviation businesses are focusing their efforts on bidding for a number of related projects in the aviation chain at Long Thanh airport. SAGS leaders affirmed the importance of Long Thanh international airport to the company's future development and existence.

According to the feasibility study (FS), in phase 1, about 80% of current international flights will be transferred from Tan Son Nhat to Long Thanh.

This poses a vital challenge for ground handling businesses for airlines, if they fail to win service contracts at Long Thanh, the company will face serious losses as international flights gradually leave Tan Son Nhat.

In the race for Long Thanh airport, there are big competitors such as Vietjet and Viags - a subsidiary of Vietnam Airlines. Both of these businesses have carefully prepared human resources, investment and business strategy to participate in the project, competing with SAGS.

According to experts, with the orientation of serving 80% of international flights and handling up to 1.2 million tons of cargo by 2026, Long Thanh will not only be an aviation center but also a driving force for growth in aviation retail and tourism.

Upon completion of phase 3, the airport is expected to reach a capacity of 5 million tons of cargo, meeting the growing transportation demand and optimizing retail commercial space in Vietnam.

Vietnam Airlines Chairman Dang Ngoc Hoa said the airline is planning to increase international flights, especially transcontinental routes, to welcome tourists and investors to Long Thanh.

The airline also hopes to bring partners in the Skyteam alliance to exploit, turning Long Thanh into a competitor with major aviation centers in the region.

According to Mr. Hoa, aviation infrastructure plays a key role in helping Vietnam not only transport passengers but also become a global transit gateway. Long Thanh and Tan Son Nhat will be two strategic links in this plan.

As for Vietjet, Vietnam's largest private airline, it is expanding its international flight network with plans to purchase more Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft.

The airline will focus on developing connecting and direct flights from Long Thanh to Asia and Europe. At the same time, Vietjet is also actively training flight attendants and pilots at the airline’s Aviation Academy to prepare human resources for the new airport.

Long Thanh Airport needs 14,000 employees

Long Thanh Airport is facing a large-scale human resource problem as it prepares to begin its first phase of operations. According to ACV, the project requires up to 14,000 employees with diverse qualifications and skills, opening up opportunities for local human resource development, especially in Dong Nai province.

Recruitment requirements are quite high for all positions. For executive management level, candidates need to graduate from a regular university and achieve TOEIC 500 or higher.

Technical staff must have a regular university or college degree, TOEIC 400. Even unskilled workers are required to graduate from high school and TOEIC 300.

To meet this demand for human resources, ACV and SAGS have partnered with Lilama2 International College of Technology in Dong Nai. Training programs will cover a wide range of fields from aviation operations, material manufacturing, to equipment maintenance and repair.

In addition, a complex serving training, maintenance and work for airport experts and staff will also be built.

High English requirements in recruitment are expected to encourage workers to improve their foreign language skills, preparing them for the international working environment at Long Thanh airport.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hang-khong-dich-vu-chay-dua-vao-san-bay-long-thanh-20241122223321273.htm