Drawing up plan for first official flight to Long Thanh Airport

According to the plan proposed by the Ministry of Construction to the Prime Minister, the first official flight to Long Thanh International Airport will take place only after a technical flight confirms that all safety and technical requirements are fully met.

According to the plan, the technical flight to Long Thanh Airport is scheduled for December 15, 2025. Photo: Pham Tung

Technical flight scheduled for December 15

According to the plan, the first official flight to Long Thanh Airport is scheduled for December 19, 2025. Before that, a technical flight is scheduled for December 15, 2025.

To facilitate both the technical and the first official flights to Long Thanh Airport, the Ministry of Construction has submitted a detailed scenario and implementation plan to the Prime Minister.

Air traffic controllers at the Long Thanh Airport control tower. Photo: Pham Tung

According to the scenario, on December 15, 2025, a Code E aircraft, likely a Boeing 787, currently the largest aircraft in Vietnam, will depart from Tan Son Nhat Airport (Ho Chi Minh City), land at Long Thanh Airport, and then return to Tan Son Nhat. The technical flight will carry only the flight crew and technical staff, with no passengers or cargo on board. Vietnam Airlines, the national carrier, will operate this technical flight.

The Ministry of Construction stated that VATM and ACV have already conducted calibration flights to ensure operational readiness: on August 2, 2025, calibration flights for PBN procedures were completed; on October 6, 26, and 29, 2025, calibration flights were conducted for ACV equipment, including the ILS system and runway lights, as well as VATM equipment such as DVOR/DME, radar, and ADS-B systems. All results met the operational standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

In preparation for the technical flight to Long Thanh Airport, the Ministry of Construction requested that the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) complete ground preparations, including cleaning, grass planting, and removal of obstacles within the runway and airfield areas. Adequate fire trucks and ground support equipment must be arranged, along with qualified operational staff holding the required permits and certifications. Coordination with the Ministry of Public Security and the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee is tasked with ensuring order, security, safety, fire prevention, and readiness for rescue.

The Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) is responsible for conducting acceptance inspections of all infrastructure and equipment to ensure operational compliance and for submitting documentation to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) to obtain permits for aviation equipment, personnel, and service providers.

Vietnam Airlines is responsible for coordinating with ACV to review and assess runway and airfield conditions, and for preparing the aircraft, flight crew, and technical staff. The CAAV will issue the necessary permits for aviation equipment, personnel, and service providers before December 15, 2025.

For the first official flight to Long Thanh Airport, scheduled for December 19, 2025, the planned route is Noi Bai Airport – Long Thanh Airport – Noi Bai Airport.

Significant preparatory work completed for Long Thanh Airport flights

In its report to the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Construction outlined the tasks that had already been completed in preparation for the technical and first official flights to Long Thanh Airport.

Regarding construction and infrastructure readiness, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has completed the construction of Runway 1, as well as taxiways and aircraft aprons in front of the passenger terminal, including the installation of all associated equipment such as runway lights, signage, and markings. Load-bearing tests of the airside pavement system have also been conducted, ensuring that it meets operational requirements for the largest aircraft designed to operate at the airport.

The entire lighting system of Runway 1 at Long Thanh Airport is successfully activated on the evening of December 11, 2025. Photo: Pham Tung

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has completed the connecting road between Terminals 1 and 2, as well as the main internal access road, ahead of the December 15, 2025, deadline. ACV has also finalized aircraft operational plans, ground service arrangements, and personnel deployment.

In terms of air traffic operations, Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) has largely completed the construction of the air traffic control tower and the installation of essential equipment, including primary and secondary radars (PSR/SSR), the DVOR/DME navigation system, and ADS-B air traffic control equipment. VATM has also finalized flight procedures and optimized operational plans for the Tan Son Nhat – Long Thanh corridor. Plans are in place to mobilize qualified personnel from other airports, who are equipped with the required licenses, and to provide training through both on-site courses and simulation models to ensure staff meet regulatory and operational standards.

In a statement following the 22nd session of the State Steering Committee for National Key Projects in the transport sector, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who chairs the committee, instructed relevant agencies to prioritize resources for the Long Thanh Airport project.

To prepare for the technical flight and the first official landing at Long Thanh Airport, contractors working on Component 3 of the project, which encompasses essential airside facilities, have intensified their construction efforts, mobilizing their maximum workforce and equipment. Currently, more than 15,000 workers and 3,000 machines are operating around the clock on site, with priority given to key components, including Runway 1, taxiways, aircraft aprons, and the installation of passenger terminal equipment. Compared to early November 2025, the workforce engaged in Component 3 has increased by over 1,000 personnel.

By Pham Tung – Translated by Hong Van, Minho