Long Thanh Airport scheduled to begin commercial operations at midnight on December 24, 2026

Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has notified the Dong Nai City People’s Committee of the planned date for Long Thanh International Airport to begin commercial operations.

Long Thanh Airport is scheduled to begin commercial operations at midnight on December 24, 2026. Photo: Pham Tung

Under the airport's operational rollout plan, ACV informed the Dong Nai City People’s Committee that Long Thanh International Airport is tentatively scheduled to begin commercial operations at 0:00 on December 24, 2026 (local time).

To ensure that preparations and arrangements for airport operations are carried out safely and in a coordinated manner, ACV requested that the Dong Nai City People’s Committee direct relevant agencies and units to coordinate with and support ACV within the scope of their respective functions, duties, and authority, thereby facilitating the start of operations at Long Thanh Airport.

According to ACV, as of October 9, 2026, construction work on the essential airport facilities under Component Project 3, for which ACV is the project investor, had reached approximately 86% of the total contract value. Of the 16 major bidding packages, four had been completed, while contractors were focusing their efforts on the remaining 12 to meet the scheduled start of commercial operations. The specialized regulatory authority has assessed that most of the ongoing bidding packages are likely to be completed in December 2026. For large-scale facilities with complex technical requirements, including the internal airport road network and technical infrastructure, the passenger terminal, Cargo Terminal No. 1, and the parking facility, the investor, contractors, and relevant parties continue to mobilize maximum resources, intensify construction, and accelerate finishing work to ensure that operational requirements are met on schedule.

Alongside efforts to complete construction, relevant units are focusing on conducting acceptance inspections, finalizing environmental documentation, obtaining approval for the aviation security program, securing permits for personnel and vehicles operating in airside areas, and completing procedures for the issuance of the airport operating certificate, as well as other specialized procedures required for flight operations. Fully meeting these legal, technical, and operational requirements will provide an essential foundation for ensuring that Long Thanh Airport operates safely, smoothly, and efficiently from the outset of commercial operations.

To achieve the goal of commencing commercial operations during the initial phase, key infrastructure facilities at Long Thanh Airport are being completed in a coordinated manner. These include runways, taxiways, and aprons; airfield lighting and navigation aid systems; passenger and cargo terminals; aviation fuel supply systems; rescue and firefighting facilities; aviation security systems; the air traffic control tower; and facilities supporting flight operations. These core facilities play a decisive role in determining the airport's operational capacity, aviation safety, and passenger service quality, while laying the foundation for stable and seamless operations from the start of commercial services.

By Pham Tung – Translated by Minh Hong, Minho