Accelerating Long Thanh Airport Phase 2: Government Proposes New Mechanism

From December 8-12, continuing the agenda of the 10th session, the Government presented to the National Assembly a proposal to adjust the content of Resolution 94/2015 regarding the investment policy for the Long Thanh International Airport project.

Presenting the proposal, Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh stated that according to the 2014 Law on Public Investment, the Prime Minister decides on the investment in national key projects that have been approved by the National Assembly without needing further approval from the National Assembly before making the investment decision.

However, due to the massive scale and complexity of the Long Thanh International Airport project, which is being implemented for the first time and lacks a defined investment plan, the National Assembly has requested the Government to direct the preparation of a feasibility study report for each phase of the project and submit it to the National Assembly for approval before making the investment decision.

According to the Government, during the implementation of Phase 1, based on the Government’s recommendation to adjust the investment phase of the second runway from Phase 3 to Phase 1, the National Assembly has allowed the Government to approve the adjusted feasibility study report for Phase 1 of the project under its authority without needing approval from the National Assembly.

Based on transport demand forecasts, the feasibility study report for Phase 1 of the project has projected the timing for the study and investment in Phase 2 (including the third runway and the second passenger terminal) to be from 2028 to 2032.

With the projected double-digit GDP growth from 2026, passenger volumes at airports in general, and particularly at Long Thanh International Airport, are expected to increase faster than previously forecast.

Therefore, the Government believes that it is necessary to initiate the investment study for Phase 2 earlier than planned. The Government also recognizes that immediately investing in the third runway of Phase 2 will utilize the existing workforce and machinery of contractors currently working on the project, thereby saving time, costs, and shortening the schedule while enhancing investment efficiency.

The proposal clearly states that according to the approved investment policy and planning, Phase 2 of the project is expected to include the investment in one runway, one passenger terminal with a capacity of 25 million passengers per year, and other synchronized works to meet operational needs.

Based on the organization and investment methods for the components of Phase 1, the Government plans to assign the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) as the investor for essential works and other works in Phase 2. The Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) will be responsible for investing in works ensuring flight operations in Phase 2.

Thus, the National Assembly’s approval for the Government to approve the feasibility study report for Phase 2 of the project under its authority without needing approval from the National Assembly will help the Government proactively organize the study, appraisal, and approval of the feasibility study report for Phase 2. This also aligns with the policy of decentralization and the provisions of the Law on Public Investment.

Presenting the verification report, Mr. Phan Van Mai, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee on Economics and Finance, emphasized that the Government’s recommendation is well-founded and complies with current legal regulations.

The Government’s recommendation aligns with the regulations on promoting decentralization, simplification, and shortening the time for preparing feasibility study reports and making investment decisions for national key projects. Therefore, the verifying agency agrees with the Government’s proposal to include the content of the recommendation in the resolution of the 10th session.