Vietnamese airlines outline flight plans for mammoth Long Thanh airport ahead of launch

In early June, ACV launched a 180-day acceleration campaign to complete and put the airport into operation in December.

In a plan recently submitted to ACV, low-cost carrier Vietjet said it would base three aircraft at Long Thanh International Airport during the trial operation period from early December to January 15, 2027.

The airline plans to launch domestic services to Hanoi and Hai Phong City, located in the northern region, and Nghe An and Thanh Hoa Provinces, situated in the north-central park, operating an average of 18 flights per day.

Between January 16 and June 9, 2027, Vietjet expects to increase the number of Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft based at Long Thanh to up to six.

During this phase, it will add flights to Da Nang and Hue in central Vietnam, and Phu Quoc in the southern region, raising daily frequencies to nearly 26-42 flights.

Beginning with the 2027 summer flight schedule, the carrier plans to station between eight and 10 narrow-body aircraft at the airport, operating both domestic routes and international services to Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka.

Vietjet also intends to deploy Airbus A330-300 and A330-900 aircraft on long-haul routes to India, Australia, and Europe, while it is committed to opening at least two international routes during the initial phase.

The airline has also proposed limiting the issuance of new flight permits and additional slots at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City to encourage a gradual shift of operations to Long Thanh.

Meanwhile, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has proposed transferring four international routes linking Ho Chi Minh City with Beijing, Hong Kong and Guangzhou in China, and Manila in the Philippines to Long Thanh International Airport.

These services account for some 12 percent of the airline's international operations in Ho Chi Minh City.

ACV said it has prepared check-in counters, passenger lounges, service areas, and other operational facilities for Vietnam Airlines and its ground service unit.

Compared with Vietjet, Vietnam Airlines plans to adopt a more cautious approach by transferring only part of its route network to Long Thanh.

This strategy will allow the carrier to test its operational procedures and gauge passenger response before expanding its operations.

Another airline Vietravel Airlines plans to commence commercial operations at Long Thanh at the end of 2026 and increase flight frequencies from the 2027 summer schedule.

The carrier has not yet disclosed specific routes or fleet deployment plans.

International airlines show interest

Apart from the three Vietnamese carriers, ACV has conducted surveys for Korean Air, All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Japan Airlines, while also holding discussions with representatives of 34 international airlines.

The airport operator is promoting 21 additional international routes connecting Long Thanh with China, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, the United States, Thailand, and Europe.

These new services are expected to bring an additional two million passengers annually to the airport by 2030.

Nguyen Duc Hung, acting CEO of ACV, said Tan Son Nhat International Airport will continue to serve domestic routes and short- to medium-haul international services, while Long Thanh will focus on long-haul international flights and new overseas routes.

ACV has pledged to complete 13 major construction packages in time for Long Thanh International Airport to begin commercial operations in December.

Long Thanh International Airport is a national key project spanning 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.