Long Thanh Airport Confirms Launch Date for First Commercial Flight, Aiming to Welcome 20 Million International Passengers in Inaugural Year

Scheduled for Operation in 2026

Recently, the Vietnam Aviation Authority announced the operation plan for Long Thanh International Airport (Long Thanh Airport).

According to the plan, Long Thanh Airport will be operated in two phases. The first phase, starting from December 2025, will involve technical flights to test and evaluate the entire infrastructure before official operation. The second phase, from June 2026, will see the airport officially welcoming commercial flights.

The Vietnam Aviation Authority stated that all detailed information related to the operation will be published in the AIP Supplement, effective from June 11, 2026. This will serve as a crucial basis for domestic and international airlines to plan their operations, ensuring safety and synchronization.

Located in Long Thanh commune, Dong Nai province, approximately 40 km east of Ho Chi Minh City center, Long Thanh International Airport holds a strategic position. It is designed to share the operational burden with the overloaded Tan Son Nhat Airport, while meeting the growing demand for passenger and cargo transportation.

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

According to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the passenger terminal of Long Thanh Airport in phase 1 has a design capacity of 25 million passengers annually. By the time phase 1 of Long Thanh Airport becomes operational, international passenger volume is projected to reach 20 million annually. Therefore, phase 2 of the Long Thanh Airport project should be initiated immediately after phase 1 is completed.

Long Thanh Airport is a national key project, expected to become one of the most modern aviation gateways, enhancing Vietnam’s international transit capacity. Over time, this “mega infrastructure project” has positively impacted the socio-economic landscape and the real estate market. The airport’s development not only serves as a transportation hub but also drives the growth of surrounding service, commercial, and residential ecosystems, forming an “airport urban model.”

Observably, real estate prices around the Long Thanh Airport area have shown rapid increases. Projects entering the market are attracting investment capital. Many buyers are positioning themselves to “anticipate” the airport’s operational start and the completion of connecting infrastructure. However, new supply in the Long Thanh and Nhon Trach areas remains limited.

At the frontage of Ton Duc Thang (25B), just a 10-minute drive from Long Thanh Airport, the FIATO Airport City apartment project is gaining attention. Once the Thu Thiem – Long Thanh light rail line is operational, travel time from the project to the airport will be reduced to 5 minutes, and to Ho Chi Minh City center to 25 minutes. The Galaxy Block of the project has been topped out and is expected to be handed over in Q4/2026, coinciding with the operation of phase 1 of Long Thanh Airport. The Fiesta Block has officially commenced construction, continuing the overall project progress.

Another project in the area, Spring Ville, offering townhouses, villas, shophouses, and apartments, has also seen active transactions due to its proximity to the airport.

Real estate projects such as Gem Sky World, Century City, STC Long Thanh, D2D Loc An, ID Junction, and Century City are accelerating activities in the secondary market ahead of Long Thanh Airport’s operation.

Infrastructure Connectivity Route from Ho Chi Minh City Center to Long Thanh Airport

With Long Thanh Airport set to take over all international flights from Tan Son Nhat Airport, authorities are planning transportation connectivity between Ho Chi Minh City center and the airport, located over 40 km away. Several road projects are being expedited to meet the connectivity deadline.

There are three routes connecting Ho Chi Minh City center to Vietnam’s largest airport. The first route is from the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh Expressway, turning onto the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway, and then connecting to Long Thanh Airport. This is also the shortest route from the city center to the airport.

The second route is from the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh Expressway, turning onto the Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3, crossing Nhon Trach Bridge, turning onto Road 25C (Nguyen Ai Quoc Road), running through Nhon Trach Industrial Park, and then connecting to Long Thanh Airport.

The third route is along the entire Ben Luc – Long Thanh Expressway, turning onto the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway, and then entering the airport connector road. This route is suitable for residents in the southern part of Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh province, and provinces in the Southwest region.

On the Ben Luc – Long Thanh Expressway, VEC will complete the Binh Khanh Bridge by September and the Phuoc Khanh Bridge by September 2026, thus fully connecting the Ben Luc – Long Thanh Expressway. For the Ring Road 3, the Nhon Trach Bridge and the junction with the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh Expressway (opened in August 2025) are key components.

Two airport connector roads (T1 and T2) are also being finalized. Road T1, cutting through National Highway 51 and connecting to Road 25C with a width of 80 meters, is expected to be completed by the end of this year or at the latest by Q1/2026.

To support airport connectivity, in addition to the Thu Thiem – Long Thanh railway line and the extension of the Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien metro line to Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City has recently proposed a rapid metro line connecting Tan Son Nhat Airport and Long Thanh Airport, reducing travel time between the two airports to 30-40 minutes.

If implemented promptly and comprehensively, the rapid metro line connecting the two airports will not only help alleviate traffic congestion but also serve as strategic infrastructure, enhancing the long-term competitiveness of Vietnam’s aviation sector and fostering socio-economic development and the real estate market in the region.

It is evident that the large-scale infrastructure being deployed in Dong Nai province, particularly in Nhon Trach, is transforming the area’s landscape. Businesses and real estate projects present from the early stages in this region are now reaping the benefits of the area’s infrastructure development.