Real Estate

Ministry of Construction Reports on Long Thanh Airport Exploitation Plan

Long Thanh International Airport will handle 80% of international flights and 10% of domestic flights, while Tan Son Nhat International Airport will manage 20% of international flights and 90% of domestic flights.

Administrator

3 October, 2025

Long Thanh International Airport is entering its final completion phase, preparing for its inaugural flight on December 19, 2025 – Image: ACV

Following the directive of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Document No. 8796/VPCP-CN dated September 17, 2025, the Ministry of Construction has submitted a report on the operation plan for Tan Son Nhat International Airport (TSNIA) and Long Thanh International Airport (LTIA) during Phase 1.

The ministry clarifies that the feasibility study report for the Long Thanh International Airport Investment Project (Phase 1), approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 1777/QĐ-TTg on November 11, 2020, outlines the operation model for both airports as a dual international airport system operating simultaneously. The government will proactively coordinate and determine the international-domestic flight ratios for each airport during specific periods.

Long Thanh Airport to Handle 80% of International Flights from 2026

According to this plan, LTIA will manage 80% of international flights and 10% of domestic flights, while TSNIA will handle 20% of international flights and 90% of domestic flights.

Specifically, for LTIA, the international flight operation plan will apply to all international routes of 1,000 km or more; other routes will be determined by airlines. Domestic flight operations will be chosen by Vietnamese airlines.

LTIA is expected to handle 10-12% of the traffic on the Hanoi/Da Nang – Ho Chi Minh City trunk route operated by Vietnamese airlines.

For TSNIA, the international flight operation plan will cover all international routes under 1,000 km (TSNIA is expected to serve markets between Ho Chi Minh City and Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, accounting for 15-17% of total international traffic to the Ho Chi Minh City area). Domestic flight operations will be chosen by Vietnamese airlines.

With this operational allocation, LTIA will manage 80% of international flights and 10% of domestic flights, while TSNIA will handle 20% of international flights and 90% of domestic flights. The government will proactively coordinate and determine the international-domestic flight ratios for each airport during specific periods; the allocation criteria will be reviewed after the first five years of operation.

Rendering of Long Thanh Airport upon completion

Thorough Preparation for Operation is Crucial

To meet the project’s objectives and ensure high-quality operation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh tasked the Ministry of Construction (formerly the Ministry of Transport) with establishing a task force for LTIA’s operational readiness.

Over the past period, Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has proactively selected Incheon Airport Consortium (IAC) as the international consultant to develop an operation and management plan, ensuring the project’s goals and investment efficiency. IAC has prepared the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) and a comprehensive plan for LTIA’s launch, including detailed studies on the operational allocation between TSNIA and LTIA.

IAC has studied two scenarios and recommended that ACV report to the Steering Committee to adopt the plan to transfer all regular international flights from TSNIA to LTIA. This ensures efficient management, optimizes resources, and aligns with the long-term goal of developing LTIA into a regional transit hub, competing with major global airports.

Based on ACV’s recommendation, the Ministry of Construction has directed the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) and ACV to study, evaluate, and reference the operational practices of dual airport systems (government objectives, organizational and operational management, infrastructure capacity, services, commerce, transition timelines, etc.).

To date, CAAV and ACV have agreed to report to the Ministry of Construction an operational allocation plan for TSNIA and LTIA that aligns with the approved project objectives. They have also defined a detailed transition timeline to ensure investment efficiency and project goals.

The Ministry of Construction notes: The Long Thanh International Airport Investment Project is a national key project with complex investment components. Investors are accelerating progress to ensure the project’s timely operation as required.

Therefore, thorough preparation for LTIA’s operation is vital to ensure a safe transition from the investment to the operational phase, maximizing efficiency from the airport’s opening day. This includes effective operation between TSNIA and LTIA, particularly the transition timeline to achieve investment goals.

“The Ministry of Construction will continue to evaluate, coordinate, and determine international-domestic flight ratios for each airport during specific periods, ensuring efficient operation of both LTIA and TSNIA,” the document states.

Khang Di

– 8:33 PM, October 2, 2025