According to the Ministry of Construction, the feasibility study report for the investment project to build the Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai province, phase 1, includes a proposed plan for operating the Long Thanh International Airport and Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.
The proposed plan suggests that Long Thanh Airport will handle all international flights (flights longer than 1,000 km and those chosen by the airline) and new flights of all airlines that Tan Son Nhat Airport cannot accommodate, as well as non-scheduled flights.
On the other hand, Tan Son Nhat Airport will serve airlines operating Code C aircraft such as Airbus 321/320, Boeing 737, etc., or flights shorter than 1,000 km, and the criteria for operation will be reviewed after the first five years of operation.
Long Thanh Airport passenger terminal perspective. Photo: ACV.
The Ministry of Construction stated that in the feasibility report, the Vietnam Airport Corporation (ACV) and the consulting unit, Incheon Airport (IAC) Consortium, proposed to choose the option of transferring all regular international flights from Tan Son Nhat to Long Thanh to ensure the effectiveness of the project’s investment.
Evaluating the proposal of ACV and the consulting unit, the Ministry of Construction said that the option of transferring all international flights from Tan Son Nhat to Long Thanh still needs the opinion of some airlines. Therefore, the Ministry requested the Vietnam Aviation Authority (CAAV) to coordinate with ACV to urgently work with the airlines to carefully study and assess the impact of the operation plan.
“It is necessary to determine the roadmap for transferring international routes from Tan Son Nhat International Airport to Long Thanh International Airport to soon report the official results of the operation plan in September,” the document from the Ministry of Construction stated.
Previously, IAC has analyzed two operation plans for Tan Son Nhat and Long Thanh airports.
According to IAC, option 1 is for Tan Son Nhat to serve domestic flights, with an expected passenger volume of about 29.5 million passengers/year; all international operations will be transferred and concentrated at Long Thanh, with an estimated volume of more than 19 million international passengers/year.
Phase 1 of Long Thanh Airport will be completed and put into use in 2026. Photo: Quynh Danh.
Option 2 is for Tan Son Nhat to continue operating domestic flights and a part of short-haul international flights, with an estimated international passenger volume of about 3.8 million passengers/year, focusing mainly on regional routes within a radius of 1,000 km.
Long Thanh Airport will handle all long-haul international flights, along with a portion of domestic traffic to meet transit needs, with an estimated international passenger volume of about 15.3 million passengers/year (a total volume of 16.8 million passengers/year).
Regarding the two options proposed by IAC, the CAAV highly agreed with the option of transferring all regular international flights from Tan Son Nhat to Long Thanh to ensure convenience in organization, operation, and optimization of resources. However, the Authority is still studying and continuing to consult with many parties.
According to the approved plan, the designed capacity of the entire Long Thanh Airport will reach 100 million passengers/year. Phase 1 of the project is under construction and is expected to be completed by mid-2026, with an initial capacity of about 25 million passengers/year.
Sharing with Tien Phong, a representative of the CAAV said that Long Thanh International Airport is expected to contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnam’s aviation industry. Long Thanh will strongly promote the development of tourism, logistics, and foreign investment, making Vietnam a hub for aviation and logistics in Southeast Asia, capable of directly competing with major airports in the region such as Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok, Thailand, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Changi in Singapore.
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