20 fights completed on first day of Long Thanh Airport calibration program

As part of the calibration flight program preparing for the first technical flight scheduled to land at Long Thanh International Airport at the end of December, the first calibration flight was conducted on the morning of September 26.

Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft, registration number B350, conducts a calibration flight at Long Thanh Airport on September 26. Photo: Pham Tung

First aircraft approaches the runway of Long Thanh Airport

At around 6:10 a.m. on September 26, the Beechcraft KING AIR 360ER aircraft, registration number B350, began its calibration mission at Long Thanh Airport. This calibration flight is the first flight in a series planned to continue for almost a month

According to on-site reporters, after entering the airspace over Long Thanh Airport from the north, the aircraft descended to approach Runway 1, Long Thanh Airport. The aircraft then continued a low approach along Runway 1 before increasing speed and regaining altitude to perform the next calibration maneuver.

To support the first calibration flight, ground crews were on site from 4 a.m. to inspect the entire runway, ensuring that all technical systems were operating smoothly and free of obstructions. Firefighting and medical teams were also deployed to designated positions, fully prepared to respond to any emergency.

About 40 minutes later, the runway edge lighting system was activated for the first calibration flight at Long Thanh Airport.

Meanwhile, on the 20th floor of the air traffic control tower, Long Thanh Airport, airborne communication equipment was installed to facilitate contact between the aircraft and air traffic controllers. An air traffic guidance team was also established by the Viet Nam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) and its subsidiary Air Traffic Technical Company Limited (ATTECH) to provide guidance and support for the calibration flights at Long Thanh Airport.

According to ATTECH, in August 2025, evaluation flights under the PBN standard (performance-based navigation) had already been completed at Long Thanh Airport.

Thorough preparations made for calibration flight operations

According to representatives of ATTECH, the provider of calibration flight services at Long Thanh Airport, calibration flights are measurement, testing, and evaluation operations designed to ensure that all aviation equipment systems installed at the airport are thoroughly inspected and assessed. Only when they fully meet international aviation safety standards can they be approved for operational use.

For all newly constructed airport projects, calibration flights are the first mandatory step before operational approval is granted. After the initial verification and acceptance, periodic calibration flights must continue to be conducted every six and twelve months throughout the operational life of the systems. This undertaking is a critically important process, as without approved initial calibration results and annual periodic calibrations, the airport cannot be licensed for operation.

For Long Thanh Airport, according to the government’s schedule requirements, the evaluation and calibration flight operations require the service provider to organize and arrange activities with maximum flexibility to meet the schedule. Therefore, ATTECH had already begun preparations for the Long Thanh Airport calibration flight operations as early as 2024.

This phase of calibration flight operations played a critical role in preparation for the first technical flight, which will land at Long Thanh Airport on December 19, 2025. This phase is planned to run from September 26 to October 24, 2025, lasting nearly a month, during which multiple evaluation flights will be conducted across various operational aspects.

According to ATTECH representatives, the first day of calibration flights at Long Thanh Airport completed 20 technical test runs. The results from the entire calibration campaign will be compiled and evaluated in a final report to be submitted to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. This final calibration report will serve as the basis for granting the necessary approvals to bring Long Thanh Airport into operation.

By Pham Tung - Translated by Thu Hien, Minho