Long Thanh airport targets December 1 launch with 20-50% service fee cuts for airlines

Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper on Monday, ACV said the construction of Long Thanh Airport in Dong Nai City has entered its final stage, with many key components still to be completed in the coming months to ensure the airport is ready to handle its first commercial flight on December 1.

Contractors have been required to complete construction work no later than September.

From then until the opening date, the airport will undergo equipment testing, operational checks, and coordination exercises involving relevant agencies to ensure readiness for commercial operations.

Passengers are particularly interested in which flights will be transferred from Tan Son Nhat once Long Thanh begins operations.

According to ACV's proposal, the transition will be implemented in three phases rather than all at once.

In the first phase, from December 1, 2026 to the end of March 2027, airlines will be encouraged to launch new international routes, increase flight frequencies, and operate cargo services from Long Thanh.

Tan Son Nhat will continue serving existing international routes that have not yet been transferred to the new airport, while no new international routes are expected to be approved during this period.

Vietnam Airlines has registered to operate flights from Long Thanh to Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Manila, as well as a domestic route to Hanoi.

Vietjet has registered to operate flights from Long Thanh to Hanoi, Hai Phong, Vinh and Thanh Hoa.

Under the 2027 summer flight schedule, which runs from March 28 to October 30, 2027, long-haul flights to Europe, the Americas, Oceania, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Central Asia will be transferred to Long Thanh.

All cargo flights are also expected to move to the new airport during this period.

Tan Son Nhat will mainly serve routes connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia.

During the 2027 winter flight schedule, running from October 30, 2027 to March 25, 2028, Long Thanh is expected to handle almost all international flights.

Some short-haul routes of less than 1,000 kilometers operated by Vietnamese airlines may continue to depart from Tan Son Nhat.

According to ACV, Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, and Vietravel Airlines have agreed to the proposed transition roadmap.

International carriers have also supported the plan but requested that it be announced early so they can prepare flight schedules, staffing arrangements, and business operations.

Domestic airlines have also proposed retaining their historical slots at Tan Son Nhat after transferring flights to Long Thanh.

This would allow airlines to adjust aircraft deployment and personnel arrangements without worrying about losing their operating rights at the existing airport.

To encourage airlines to operate at Long Thanh, ACV has developed the ‘Long Thanh Launch’ incentive package, which is expected to offer 20-50 percent discounts on aviation service fees from 2026 to 2027.

The package will be offered in addition to incentives under the Ministry of Construction's Circular No. 23 issued in May 2026.

The first-phase passenger terminal at Long Thanh is designed to handle 25 million passengers per year and is scheduled to be completed and undergo trial operations in November.

The airport's first cargo terminal will have a capacity of 550,000 metric tons per year.

ACV has prepared 55 operational trial scenarios, which will be carried out from September to November.

Long Thanh airport, which broke ground on January 5, 2021, is forecast to serve around 350,000 passengers in December 2026, with annual passenger traffic projected to reach 8.76 million in 2027 and more than 26.2 million by 2030.