The $16 Billion Long Thanh Airport Mega-Project is Running Behind Schedule: Deputy Prime Minister Issues Urgent Directive to ACV

The Government Office issued Notification No. 306/TB-VPCP on June 18, 2025, regarding the conclusions of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha at the meeting on the implementation of Phase 1 of the Long Thanh International Airport construction project.

Despite the efforts of relevant units to expedite the project, a significant amount of work remains. The large and important packages are delayed (Package 4.7 is 24% behind schedule, Package 4.8 is 36% behind schedule, and Package 5.10 has only reached 31.3%), while the required schedule for completion is very tight, with just over 6 months left and many unpredictable factors such as weather conditions.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested that the Ministry of Construction coordinate with ACV and investors to review and specifically identify the tasks/packages to be completed by December 31, 2025, for each package, item of work, and component project, including an assessment of the impact of weather and other conditions; determine responsibility in case of failure to meet the deadline, and report to the Prime Minister before June 30.

Regarding Component Project 1, the Deputy Prime Minister requested that the construction of the offices of state management agencies be ensured to be completed by December 31.

For Component Project 2, the Deputy Prime Minister directed that the construction of facilities for air traffic control must be completed simultaneously with other component projects. Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) should coordinate with ACV to ensure suitable solutions and meet the target completion time.

In relation to Component Project 3, the Deputy Prime Minister instructed ACV and the design consulting unit to thoroughly review the project’s design, and if necessary, immediately research and supplement it, ensuring that design solutions and the use of advanced materials comply with current standards, norms, and technical and quality requirements of a 5-star international airport, especially solutions for waterproofing and leak prevention. The design consulting unit is requested to confirm that the construction meets the technical requirements of the terminal roof design, paying attention to the solution for rainwater drainage for the roof structure (if necessary, a suitable additional solution should be supplemented).

Regarding Package 4.8 (Construction, installation of equipment, and design of drawings for construction of intra-port traffic and technical infrastructure works), the Deputy Prime Minister requested:

ACV should develop a detailed implementation plan and schedule, setting the completion date as December 31, 2025. Particular attention should be given to coordinating construction with related packages, immediately resolving any conflicts or overlaps that may impact the construction progress.

For Package 5.10 (Passenger Terminal), the Deputy Prime Minister noted that during the construction process, the general contractor’s construction methods must be approved, and any deviations during actual construction must be carefully considered and agreed upon by all parties involved for future acceptance upon completion.

“Learning from the experience of the finishing package at the T3 Passenger Terminal at Tan Son Nhat International Airport: the quality of finishing materials and technical standards must meet international standards. The consulting supervision unit must approve the samples, standards, and specifications of finishing materials when accepting the work. The general contractor and the Ministry of Construction will have two groups of experts for post-inspection before the work is accepted (independent supervision from the construction supervision unit),” emphasized the Deputy Prime Minister.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested that ACV urgently complete the contractor selection process for the remaining two packages (Cargo Terminal No. 1 and Sewage Treatment Works) and immediately commence construction, implementing measures to overcome delays caused by late contractor selection, and ensuring the completion of the works in accordance with the overall project schedule.

Regarding Component Project 4, the Deputy Prime Minister requested that the Ministry of Construction select investors in special cases to consider and choose investors for the Hangar projects under its authority before June 20; and select investors for warehouses 5 to 8 before December 31.

The Deputy Prime Minister also requested Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet to promptly implement the packages as soon as they are selected as investors before December 31 for the synchronized operation of Long Thanh International Airport.