Long Thanh Airport in southern Vietnam completes flight inspections of navigation, lighting systems

On October 12 and 13, the flight inspection and calibration center under Air Traffic Management Engineering Co. Ltd. conducted the flights using a Beechcraft B300/B350 aircraft.

The flights focused on checking and assessing the performance of navigation equipment and aviation lighting systems serving runway 05R/23L.

According to VATM, the flights completed all scheduled inspection procedures without any abnormal incidents.

The results will provide a basis for specialized teams to compile and assess the technical parameters of the equipment systems, supporting subsequent steps in preparations to put Long Thanh Airport into operation.

Unlike regular commercial flights, flight inspection and calibration require specific flight paths and procedures.

The aircraft must approach along the runway centerline, fly curved paths, check signal coverage and assess the equipment's technical parameters.

To support the inspection flights, VATM units prepared personnel, flight control plans, technical conditions and aviation weather information.

During the inspections, the approach control center at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and the Long Thanh air traffic control center coordinated to receive, control and transfer responsibility for the aircraft in accordance with the approved plan.

Meanwhile, technical personnel at the Long Thanh air traffic control center reviewed the operational readiness of the airport control tower, VHF communications systems, voice recording equipment, meteorological information systems, power supplies and other essential technical facilities.

For airport equipment, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam and the Long Thanh International Airport Project Management Board worked with technical units to prepare the ILS/DME system, PAPI lights and ALS approach lighting system for the inspection and calibration flights.

Following the flights, specialized teams will continue compiling and assessing the inspection results and carrying out subsequent technical work and procedures in accordance with regulations.

Long Thanh International Airport spans about 5,000 hectares, with a total estimated investment of more than VND336.63 trillion (US$13 billion).

Construction began in 2020, and the airport is being developed in three phases, making it the country's largest aviation infrastructure undertaking to date.

Once fully completed, the airport will have a total capacity of up to 100 million passengers and five million metric tons of cargo per year.

Under the current plan, Long Thanh International Airport will operate at around six to 10 percent of its designed capacity from December 2026 to March 2027, rising to around 50 percent from April to October 2027.

It is expected to reach full designed capacity after October 2027.