Prime Minister directs to put Long Thanh airport into operation from the first half of 2026

Stay on target to complete the project in 2025!

The Government Office has just issued Notice No. 139/TB-VPCP dated March 28, 2025 on the conclusion of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the inspection and working session on the Long Thanh International Airport Project Phase 1, along with connecting traffic projects.

The announcement emphasized that Long Thanh Airport is a national key project, playing a strategic role in economic and social development, improving air transport capacity and promoting international integration. The Prime Minister requested to maintain the goal of completing the project in 2025, putting it into operation and commercial exploitation in the first half of 2026.

The Prime Minister requested ministries, branches, localities, investors and contractors to thoroughly grasp the spirit of self-reliance and self-improvement, put the goal of serving the country and people above all; organize overtime, work shifts, work "through holidays and Tet", and mobilize contractors to participate in the entire project construction process.

The Prime Minister requested to maintain the target of completing the project in 2025, putting it into operation and commercial exploitation in the first half of 2026.

Regarding the progress of implementing items according to the 4 component projects. For Component Project 1, the Prime Minister directed investors to urgently implement the construction of the headquarters of State management agencies to complete on schedule. The Prime Minister requested the assignment of work according to the principle of "clear people, clear work, clear products, clear responsibilities, clear progress, clear authority", determined to complete in 2025.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is assigned to deploy and complete the project of the Plant and Animal Quarantine Station Headquarters in 2025 as committed; complete the review of individual and collective responsibilities related to the delay in implementing this project as required and report to the Prime Minister before March 30, 2025.

For component project 2, the construction of air traffic management facilities will be assigned to the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) to be responsible for implementing the construction of air traffic management facilities, ensuring quality, safety and progress. The important goal is to complete the installation and testing work by October 2025, while closely coordinating with the Vietnam Airports Corporation (ACV) to ensure synchronous technical infrastructure, ready for exploitation and operation.

Regarding the Railway connecting Long Thanh International Airport and Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the Prime Minister requested the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to report this content to the Prime Minister in March.

The Prime Minister assigned VATM to direct the implementation of the project to ensure quality for testing in October; closely coordinate with ACV to synchronize technical infrastructure, serve the equipment testing and exploitation and operation of the project.

Component 3 includes essential works with the largest workload, especially the passenger terminal. ACV needs to urgently construct important items, deploying them in a "3-shift, 4-shift" manner, ensuring progress "through holidays and days off", "overcoming the sun and rain" to basically complete the project by 2025. Construction must strictly comply with quality standards, labor safety and infrastructure synchronization.

The Prime Minister emphasized that this is the project with the heaviest workload, especially the roof of the Passenger Terminal, which is being actively implemented by ACV. The Prime Minister assigned ACV to urgently direct the construction of items, implement the construction of the Passenger Terminal after completing the roofing work, and actively implement the bidding packages to basically complete it in 2025.

For component project 4, aircraft maintenance system: Assign the Ministry of Construction to study the option of selecting investors in special cases according to legal regulations, ensuring the progress of investment in building aircraft maintenance hangars. Specifically, Vietnam Airlines will invest in hangars 1 and 2, while Vietjet Air will invest in hangars 3 and 4. The goal is to complete the entire project in 2025. In case of failure to meet the schedule, related units will be handled according to legal regulations.

The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Construction to urgently complete and submit to the Prime Minister for approval the adjustment of the Long Thanh International Airport Project Phase 1 to have a full basis for implementation according to the requirements of the National Assembly, the Government and the Prime Minister.

Solutions to remove material and infrastructure problems

In order to ensure construction progress, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment was assigned to research and propose a specific mechanism for licensing the exploitation of minerals for common construction materials, to be submitted to the Government for consideration in March 2025.

The Prime Minister requested to complete the technical traffic opening of Component 3 of Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway in April 2025.

Regarding traffic connections, for the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway Project, the Prime Minister requested that Component Project 3 be put into technical traffic in April and completed in June. Component Projects 1 and 2 must be completed in 2025.

Regarding the railway connecting Long Thanh International Airport and Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the Prime Minister requested the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to immediately study the connection plan by railway (elevated or subway); possibly cooperate with foreign partners during the implementation process. At the same time, this content must be reported to the Prime Minister in March.

Increased investment capital in phase 1 to nearly 4.7 billion USD

On March 29, 2025, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha signed Decision No. 692/QD-TTg, adjusting the total investment of the Long Thanh International Airport Project Phase 1 from VND 109,111 billion to VND 109,717 billion (equivalent to nearly USD 4.7 billion). This is an important adjustment to ensure the progress and quality of this key project.

Long Thanh International Airport project has a total area of ​​5,000 hectares, with a total investment of about 336,630 billion VND, expected to be put into operation from the first half of 2026.

The above decision also adjusts and supplements information about the investor of component project 4, specifically: Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee organizes the selection of investors for works and fuel pipeline systems supplying aircraft from the source port to the boundary of Long Thanh International Airport; Airport City; Aviation Industrial Park; and Airline Operation Center.

The Ministry of Construction organizes the selection of investors for the aircraft maintenance area (from hangar 1 to 4), cargo terminal 2, express cargo terminal, and cargo warehouses from 5 to 8.

Vietnam Airports Corporation is responsible for investing in items such as: cargo warehouses from No. 1 to No. 4, solar power system, and technical infrastructure synchronously connected with aviation service works.

Long Thanh International Airport Phase 1 is being implemented with a scale of two runways, one passenger terminal and synchronous auxiliary items, ensuring the operating capacity of 25 million passengers/year and 1.2 million tons of cargo/year. The two runways are 4,000m long and 75m wide, along with a system of taxiways and aprons to meet the operating capacity of all types of aircraft.

Component 3 project includes essential works of the airport which will be implemented by the airport operator. This item includes: general infrastructure, airport area works, aircraft parking, fuel supply system, passenger terminal, cargo terminal No. 1, parking lot, port management building and other auxiliary works.

The Long Thanh International Airport project has a total area of ​​5,000 hectares, with a total investment of about VND336,630 billion. In phase 1, the construction of runways, passenger terminals and supporting infrastructure has reached 36% progress.

However, some important items are still delayed, especially the bid package for the construction and installation of passenger terminal equipment. The main difficulty comes from importing specially designed equipment from abroad. At a meeting in late January 2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested to handle the responsibility of individuals and units that are slowing down the progress and emphasized: "Those who cannot do it should stand aside."

Duy Khuong

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/thu-tuong-chi-dao-dua-san-bay-long-thanh-vao-khai-thac-tu-nua-dau-nam-2026-post543987.html