Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has set a firm deadline for Long Thanh International Airport to begin commercial operations in the fourth quarter of 2026, directing all relevant agencies, contractors and ministries to accelerate implementation following an on-site inspection in Dong Nai Province in late March. Construction is targeted for completion by September 2026, allowing three months for systems commissioning and operational readiness ahead of the commercial launch.

The project, approved by Vietnam’s National Assembly in 2015 and Government in 2020, began major construction only in August 2023. Despite the compressed timeline, significant progress has been recorded. Work totalling approximately VND 64.1 trillion ($2.4 billion) — equivalent to 74% of total contracted value — has been completed, with nearly 9,000 personnel and full machinery deployment currently on site across 145 construction and consultancy packages. Completed or near-complete components include the air traffic control centre, runway and apron. The passenger terminal is in its final construction phase, while baggage handling systems, hangars, utilities and internal transport infrastructure are being rapidly installed.

The Prime Minister also directed acceleration of major surface access projects, including expressway connections and urban rail links — among them a 40-kilometre link between Tan Son Nhat and Long Thanh airports, a Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien metro extension, and the Bien Hoa–Vung Tau and Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay expressways. Plans for an airport city and non-aviation commercial development were also called for to support a broader aviation economy around the site.

Long Thanh’s imminent opening will introduce a significant new node to Southeast Asia’s aviation network — creating opportunities for new international routes, cargo hub development and multimodal connectivity that regional carriers and logistics operators should factor into near-term planning.