Vietnam’s Phu Quoc airport opens second runway ahead of APEC 2027

The 3,300-meter runway welcomed its first commercial flight, Sun PhuQuoc Airways flight 9G1955, which landed safely on Thursday morning.

Measuring 45 meters wide, the new runway meets the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Code E standards and is equipped with an instrument landing system and Category II approach lighting.

It can accommodate wide-body aircraft, including the Boeing 787, Airbus A350, and Boeing 777, as well as Code F aircraft.

Developed by Sun Group in collaboration with more than 20 contractors and consultants, the runway was completed in just eight months despite challenging weather, labor shortages, rising fuel costs, and difficulties transporting construction materials to the island.

Nguyen Ba Quan, director of Phu Quoc International Airport, attributed the project's completion to support from central and provincial authorities and the efforts of Sun Group, its contractors, engineers, and workers.

He said the airport had developed a coordinated operating plan linking its runways, taxiways, aircraft parking areas, new T2 passenger terminal, and VIP facilities to safely handle modern wide-body aircraft and special flights carrying delegates to APEC 2027.

With the second runway now operational, the airport will temporarily close its existing runway for upgrades, extending it from 3,000 to 3,500 meters and expanding its total width to 75 meters, including shoulders.

All flights will use the second runway during the renovation.

Once upgraded, the first runway will be able to accommodate larger aircraft, including the Boeing 747-8F and Airbus A380-800, strengthening Phu Quoc's capacity to serve long-haul routes to Europe, the Middle East, and Northeast Asia.