Long Thanh airport to charge higher passenger fee on int’l flights than Ho Chi Minh City airport

Under a decision issued by the Ministry of Construction on passenger service charges at Long Thanh, which is under construction and is considered a key national project, passengers on domestic flights will pay VND90,909 ($3.5) per person, while travelers on international flights will be charged $25.

The fees are exclusive of value-added tax.

Compared with major airports currently in operation, Long Thanh's international fee is the same as that at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, but 25 percent higher than the fee at Tan Son Nhat.

Meanwhile, the passenger service fee for domestic flights at Long Thanh is set at the same level currently applied at Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai.

The decision also establishes a separate mechanism for passengers who have already purchased tickets with Tan Son Nhat as their departure airport but are subsequently transferred to Long Thanh as part of plans to develop the air transport market.

For these passengers, the passenger service fee applicable at Tan Son Nhat when the ticket is issued will remain in effect.

Any difference arising from the change of airport will neither be collected from nor refunded to passengers.

Long Thanh International Airport is being prepared to take over part of Tan Son Nhat's operations, including international routes and cargo services.

The introduction of a separate fee structure is one of the preparations for the new airport's commercial operations.

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam has pledged to put the first phase of the airport into operation by the end of December.

The state-owned airport operator had previously set a target of conducting three trial operations in September, October, and November before its commercial operations.