Long Thanh Airport: A testament to the spirit of “nothing is impossible” (Part 3)

Students and workers explore job opportunities at Long Thanh Airport during the Long Thanh Airport Job Fair, jointly organized by Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) and Dong Nai province in August 2025. Photo: Pham Tung

With Phase 1 of Long Thanh Airport project approaching its operational launch, the need to train human resources capable of meeting operational requirements both inside and outside the airport has become a critical priority.

Part 3: Developing human resources to support Long Thanh Airport operations

For Dong Nai, fully harnessing the development potential of Long Thanh Airport requires having a workforce ready not only for the aviation sector but also for fields such as high technology, logistics.

Thousands of highly skilled workers are needed

One of the breakthrough tasks set by Dong Nai province in the Resolution of the 1st Provincial Party Congress for the 2025–2030 term is the development of high-quality human resources across sectors such as high-tech industries, logistics, education, healthcare, science and technology, and digital transformation. With Long Thanh Airport being built to modern standards and aimed at becoming an international transit hub, the demand for highly skilled personnel is a key factor in ensuring the project’s effectiveness.

Nguyen Cao Cuong, Deputy General Director of the ACV, stated that modern infrastructure alone is not enough for the airport to operate efficiently; the core factor lies in people. The workforce is the decisive factor in the success of Long Thanh Airport.

The total budget for the Local Human Resource Training and Development Plan to serve Long Thanh Airport for the 2024–2026 period, with a vision toward 2030, is over VND 121 billion which includes VND 72 billion allocated as loan capital for students during the 2024–2030 period.

According to forecasts from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, the Phase 1 of Long Thanh Airport project will require around 14,000 workers with varying levels of education and skills. To meet operational demands once the airport opens, a large, highly skilled workforce equipped with modern aviation technology will need to be prepared.

From ACV’s perspective, this unit said that, alongside investment and construction, the unit has studied management and operational models to timely propose and develop an organizational model suitable for the preparation and operation of Long Thanh Airport. In 2022, ACV held numerous conferences with major international hub airports in Asia and around the world such as Incheon Airport (the Republic of Korea), Changi Airport (Singapore), and Istanbul Airport (Turkey), to exchange ideas and learn from their experience in investment, operations, and harnessing international transit airports.

To ensure that airports are brought into operation in a unified, synchronized, continuous, and efficient manner, the organization and preparation for the operation of Long Thanh Airport need to be carried out early, proactively, and in parallel with investment and construction. According to the plan, ACV will establish a branch at Long Thanh Airport to fulfill the roles and responsibilities of an airport operator under the law and to prepare the necessary conditions regarding infrastructure, systems, technology, standards and procedures, with particular emphasis on human resources for managing and operating Long Thanh Airport.

According to ACV, regarding human resource needs (preliminary estimates, excluding personnel serving government management agencies), the Long Thanh Airport branch (under ACV) will require about 2,000 employees; the airport’s approach control center (under the Southern Air Traffic Management Company) will need 250 employees. Vietnamese airlines such as Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air will require approximately 200 employees; foreign airlines operating routes over 1,000 km from Long Thanh Airport will need around 100 employees. Ground handling companies will need about 2,000 employees; air cargo handling companies around 500 employees; aviation fuel suppliers about 500 employees; airline catering companies 200 employees; and aircraft maintenance companies, 750 employees, respectively.

In early September 2025, during an inspection of the Long Thanh Airport project progress, Member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized: “Long Thanh Airport is set to be a five-star international transit airport, so its management and operations team must also meet five-star standards. ACV and relevant authorities must prepare the workforce in the best possible way to ensure safe, efficient, and modern operations. Dong Nai must quickly develop a diverse, high-quality service ecosystem to meet passenger needs.”

To provide a high-quality workforce for Long Thanh Airport once it becomes operational, Dong Nai province has initially planned over 200 hectares of land for educational purposes and is considering expanding this to 1,800 hectares to establish a university education urban area in Long Thanh, with the aim of attracting domestic and international universities to invest. In parallel, more than 500 hectares have been planned for healthcare development to attract investment in large-scale hospitals, to meet the healthcare needs of residents once the Long Thanh Airport urban area is established.

Comrade VU HONG VAN, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Dong Nai Province

Dong Nai – the province hosting Long Thanh Airport – defined that the airport is a “core” driver of the province’s new development momentum. Alongside coordinated investment in infrastructure to support airport operations, the province has also taken important steps to develop a workforce for the project.

On February 7, 2025, the Provincial People’s Committee issued Decision No. 366/QD-UBND approving the Local Human Resource Training and Development Plan for Long Thanh Airport for 2024–2026 period, with a vision toward 2030. The plan aims to train and support local residents in finding employment at Long Thanh Airport (both within and around the airport), targeting approximately 4,800 people by 2030.

The implementation is divided into two phases: In 2024–2026 period, the province carries out integrated training policies for 1,600 people; and in 2027–2030 period, it will implement both integrated and commissioned training for 3,200 people. At the same time, the process will ensure close coordination between labor supply and demand, linking training institutions with recruiting enterprises and employers, (including airport operators and providers of aviation services inside and outside Long Thanh Airport). There is an agreed-upon mechanism for giving priority to local, on-site workers for employment at Long Thanh Airport, based on meeting the recruitment standards set by the aviation sector.

In early November 2025, ACV announced a recruitment drive to prepare for the upcoming operation of Long Thanh Airport. The airport plans to hire approximately 132 employees for the terminal operations center, the aviation technical service center, and the airside operations center.

Recruitment requirements specify that candidates must be generally no older than 30 years (for many positions, no older than 35), have graduated from high schools, hold a technical diploma or higher, or possess a level 3/7 professional certificate in fields such as mechanical engineering, automation, mechatronics, electronics and telecommunications, information technology, electrical and electronic engineering technology, air conditioning, electro-thermal and refrigeration engineering, thermal engineering, building water supply and drainage, environmental technology. In addition, applicants must have an English proficiency with a minimum score of TOEIC 300; TOEFL PBT/ITP 360; TOEFL CBT 70; TOEFL IBT 22; or IELTS 3.5 and above.

Priority given to local job seekers

To build Long Thanh Airport, Dong Nai province will need to recover approximately 5,000 hectares of land. Thousands of households in the project area must be relocated to make way for airport construction. For this reason, stabilizing the lives of affected residents, especially the children of relocated families, is a top priority for Dong Nai province, ensuring long-term, sustainable livelihoods.

When construction is completed and Long Thanh Airport becomes operational, it will require a very large workforce, especially highly skilled personnel. Photo: Pham Tung

Under the Local Human Resource Training and Development Plan for Long Thanh Airport, for the 2024–2026 period, with a vision toward 2030, Dong Nai province plans to organize training and support job placement at Long Thanh Airport for residents, including workers and students who have graduated from secondary or high schools and are in good health, suitable for the fields of training (at university, college, or intermediate levels), and meet the recruitment needs for positions inside and outside the airport. Eligible candidates must live in households with permanent or legally registered temporary residence within the province.

Priority is given to vocational training for local workers or or those eligible under social policy, including revolutionary contributors; those from poor or near-poor households (as defined by provincial standards); ethnic minorities; ex-military personnel; and families affected by the recovery of agricultural or commercial land.

In mid-August 2025, for the first time, Dong Nai province, in cooperation with ACV and other aviation sector units, held the Long Thanh Airport Job Fair. Nearly 3,000 positions were offered across a variety of occupations at the airport.

“Nothing could be better if I can work at an airport near my home. I have prepared by studying, taking the IELTS exam, and pursuing the right major to increase my chances of being hired,” shared Bui Thi Vy, a student at University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH).

According to an ACV representative, nearly 1,300 people have registered to apply for positions at Long Thanh Airport following the job fair.

Le Truong Son, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, stated that: Dong Nai province has suggested ACV and aviation enterprises to prioritize recruitment of residents from areas affected by land recovery. This aims to support long-term livelihoods and foster sustainable engagement between local communities and this national key project.

By Pham Tung – Transalated by Thu Hien, Thu Ha