Calibration flights to be conducted at Long Thanh International Airport in September 2025

Deputy General Director of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), Nguyen Tien Viet, announced on August 21 that calibration flights are scheduled to begin operation at Long Thanh International Airport in September 2025.

Functional units to conduct calibration flights at Long Thanh International Airport in September 2025 (File photo)

According to the plan, calibration flights will be performed on September 25, 2025. It is to help verify the signal quality of navigation broadcast equipment and assess flight procedures that rely on ground-based navigation signals on an annual basis, in a bid to regularly maintain the accuracy, stability, and safety for the air routes and procedures that use signals from ground navigation stations..

In July and August 2025, the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM), in coordination with relevant agencies, organised a series of test flights and evaluated flight procedures to verify safe operational capabilities at Long Thanh International Airport. These flights were carried out using the specialized Beechcraft King Air 350ER aircraft to assess flyability, procedure design-related factors, and to examine the impact of signal interference on the accuracy and intensity of navigation systems used in the procedures.

Long Thanh International Airport is designed with 68 flight procedures, comprising 27 Standard Instrument Departures (SID), 33 Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STAR), and 8 Instrument Approach Procedures (IAP).

According to ACV, the bidding packages for the first runway have basically seen completion of the pavement works, while construction of the second runway is being accelerated. The passenger terminal has witnessed completion of its concrete structure, underground section and four floors; while the central steel roof has reached its final height. Structural works of the terminal have reached more than 95% completion, with finalization expected in August. It is projected that the first technical flight will depart from Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi) and land on the runway of Long Thanh International Airport on December 19, 2025.

By: Pham Tung
Translated by; My Le - Thu Ha