When does Long Thanh airport open? Vietnam's new international gateway for Ho Chi Minh City is scheduled to begin commercial operations on 1 December 2026, according to Viet Nam News. But getting there has been a struggle. In early October the government ordered round the clock construction to meet the deadline, citing labour and material shortages, payment delays and rising costs, according to Bloomberg, as reported by The Star.
The stakes are high. The 336.63 trillion dong project, about 13 billion dollars, is meant to relieve chronic congestion at Tan Son Nhat airport and support Vietnam's ambitions for double digit growth. It has also been hit by a procurement scandal and missed several deadlines. For travellers, airlines and investors, the opening will test whether Vietnam can deliver mega infrastructure on time.
A race against the deadline
The government said the first phase must be put into operation this year, but Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc acknowledged the difficulty. "It's highly challenging given the huge amount of work remaining and limited time left," he said in a government statement. "Some contractors and project packages are progressing very slowly, with almost no progress."
Airports Corporation of Vietnam, known as ACV, the project's main investor, was ordered to resolve payment issues by the end of October. Contractors that fail to meet requirements for labour, equipment or financing face penalties. Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai authorities were told to address land clearance and technical infrastructure problems by the same deadline.
Test flights to check navigation systems were carried out in October as part of preparations for opening, according to local reports. Staffing an airport of this size, from air traffic controllers to ground handlers and security staff, is a major challenge in a short time.
Scandal and missed deadlines
The project has been beset by problems. Several executives were detained over alleged violations of bidding regulations in a procurement scandal, according to Bloomberg. Hundreds of soldiers were deployed in June to help with a shortage of construction workers, and the project has missed several key deadlines.
Transport links are another concern. Rail connections to Ho Chi Minh City are not expected to be completed for several years, meaning most passengers will rely on roads in the early years. Local authorities have added bus routes to the airport, but the journey from the city centre will be longer than the short trip to Tan Son Nhat.
A new airport is only as good as the road to it. Long Thanh will open with world class runways and a commute that many travellers will not enjoy.
The airport spans more than 5,000 hectares and is planned in three phases, with four runways and eventual capacity for 100 million passengers and 5 million tonnes of cargo a year, which would make it one of the largest airports in Southeast Asia.
Large infrastructure projects in Vietnam have faced similar problems before, with land clearance disputes, funding gaps and corruption investigations delaying highways and metro lines. Ho Chi Minh City's first metro line opened years behind schedule. Long Thanh's progress is being watched as a test of whether lessons from those projects have been learned.
What passengers will pay
Under a Ministry of Construction decision, passengers departing on international flights from Long Thanh will pay a 25 dollar service fee, the same as at Hanoi's Noi Bai airport and 5 dollars more than at Tan Son Nhat. Domestic passengers will pay 90,909 dong, about 3.45 dollars, excluding value added tax. The fees apply to tickets issued from 1 October.
The fee is collected by airlines as part of the ticket price and passed to the terminal operator. Passengers who bought tickets for flights from Tan Son Nhat that are later moved to Long Thanh will continue to pay the Tan Son Nhat rate, according to Viet Nam News.
Fees matter for airlines setting fares. A 25 dollar international service charge is comparable with other airports in the region, but the extra 5 dollars compared with Tan Son Nhat will be passed on to travellers on routes that move to Long Thanh. For budget travellers on regional routes, small charges can affect choices between airports and airlines.
Passengers should check their tickets for the departure airport as the switch takes place. Airlines will notify customers whose flights move, but during the transition period confusion is likely, especially for travellers connecting between domestic and international flights at different airports.
How flights will shift
Operations will move gradually from Tan Son Nhat to Long Thanh to minimise disruption. Under ACV's allocation plan, Long Thanh will handle all international routes longer than 1,000 kilometres, non scheduled international flights and new routes that Tan Son Nhat cannot accommodate. Domestic airlines can decide whether to operate domestic flights from Long Thanh.
That means long haul international travellers to and from southern Vietnam will increasingly use Long Thanh, while many regional and domestic flights may stay at Tan Son Nhat for now. Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam's economic engine, receiving more than 10 billion dollars in remittances last year, as covered in our report on Ho Chi Minh City's remittance rebound. The key questions around the opening include:
- Whether the terminal and systems will be fully ready on 1 December
- How smoothly airlines move international routes
- How long passengers will take to reach the airport
- Whether staffing levels will be adequate
- How the procurement investigation will affect the project
Tan Son Nhat, located inside Ho Chi Minh City, has long operated above its designed capacity, with crowded terminals and frequent delays. Moving long haul international flights to Long Thanh should ease that congestion, while allowing Tan Son Nhat to focus on domestic and shorter regional routes in the near term.
What it means for Vietnam's growth
Long Thanh is central to Vietnam's growth strategy. The economy grew 9.95 percent in the third quarter, as we covered in our report on Vietnam's 9.95 percent growth, and the government wants infrastructure that can support tourism, trade and investment. A modern airport with room for 100 million passengers eventually would put southern Vietnam on a par with major regional hubs.
But execution matters. A rushed opening with incomplete facilities or poor transport links could damage the airport's reputation, while further delays would add costs. How Long Thanh performs in its first months will shape confidence in Vietnam's other mega projects, from high speed rail to new ports.
When does Long Thanh airport open?
Long Thanh International Airport is scheduled to begin commercial operations on 1 December 2026.
How much does Long Thanh airport cost?
The project costs 336.63 trillion dong, about 13 billion dollars.
Where is Long Thanh airport?
It is in Dong Nai province, about 50 kilometres east of Ho Chi Minh City.
Why is Long Thanh airport delayed?
The government cited labour and material shortages, payment delays and rising costs.
What is the Long Thanh passenger fee?
International passengers pay 25 dollars and domestic passengers 90,909 dong, excluding VAT.
Which flights will use Long Thanh?
All international routes longer than 1,000 kilometres, non scheduled international flights and new routes Tan Son Nhat cannot handle.
Will Tan Son Nhat close?
No. Operations will shift gradually, and many domestic and shorter international flights may stay at Tan Son Nhat.
How many passengers can Long Thanh handle?
The first phase can handle 25 million passengers a year, rising to 100 million in later phases.
Is there a train to Long Thanh airport?
Rail links to Ho Chi Minh City are not expected to be completed for several years.
Who is building Long Thanh airport?
Airports Corporation of Vietnam, known as ACV, is the main investor.
What was the procurement scandal?
Several executives were detained over alleged violations of bidding regulations, according to Bloomberg.
Were soldiers used to build the airport?
Hundreds of soldiers were deployed in June to help address a shortage of construction workers.
How many runways will Long Thanh have?
The airport is planned to have four runways when fully built.
What did the deputy prime minister say?
Pham Gia Tuc said the work was highly challenging and some contractors were making almost no progress.
What if my flight moves from Tan Son Nhat to Long Thanh?
Passengers whose flights are moved keep paying the Tan Son Nhat fee rate.
How far is Long Thanh from Ho Chi Minh City?
Long Thanh is about 50 kilometres east of Ho Chi Minh City, in Dong Nai province, so travel times will be longer than to Tan Son Nhat, which sits inside the city.
Long Thanh airport is racing toward a 1 December opening that will reshape travel to southern Vietnam. Labour shortages, a procurement scandal and missing rail links show how hard it is to deliver a 13 billion dollar project on time. Its first months will be a test of Vietnam's ability to build the infrastructure its fast growing economy needs.
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