Clearing the way for the Long Thanh airport

As the completion and commencement of commercial operations for Phase 1 of Long Thanh International Airport draw near, the issue of transportation connectivity to the airport has become increasingly urgent.

The T1 and T2 transportation routes connecting to the Long Thanh airport are nearing completion.

Only with a fully integrated and modern transportation network can Phase 1 of Long Thanh International Airport maximize its investment effectiveness.

Airport-connecting routes taking shape

According to the plan, on August 19, construction will officially begin on the project to expand the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway. The 22-kilometer expansion, running from the Belt Road 2 interchange to the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway interchange, holds particular strategic significance for the operational plan of Long Thanh International Airport’s first phase.

Vu The Phiet, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), said that forecasts indicate about 80% of passengers arriving at Long Thanh International Airport will need to travel to Ho Chi Minh City, and vice versa. In the initial stage of operations, the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway will play a vital role in meeting this demand.

In terms of road infrastructure, the transportation master plan for Long Thanh Airport includes not only the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway but also other key expressways such as Ben Luc - Long Thanh, Bien Hoa - Vung Tau, and Ho Chi Minh City’s belt road 3. These routes are considered vital corridors connecting the airport to Ho Chi Minh City. All of them are currently under construction and are scheduled for completion by 2026.

Tran Hong Minh, Member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Construction, emphasized the importance of these expressways, Ben Luc - Long Thanh, Bien Hoa - Vung Tau, and Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay, as major arterial routes linking Long Thanh Airport with Ho Chi Minh City. He stressed the need to accelerate progress to ensure they are completed in sync with the airport’s operational timeline for phase 1.

In Dong Nai province, to facilitate connections between the airport and these major expressways, local authorities have initiated several projects to build, upgrade, and expand provincial roads.

Vo Tan Duc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee, stated that, to ensure connectivity from route T1 (the airport link road) to the Ben Luc – Long Thanh Expressway and Ho Chi Minh City’s belt road 3, the province is currently implementing projects to upgrade and expand Provincial Roads 25B and 25C.

Accelerate investment in a railway connectivity network

According to Notification No. 416/TB-VPCP dated August 12, 2025, from the Government Office, summarizing the conclusions of Politburo Member and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during his inspection of Phase 1 progress of the Long Thanh International Airport project, the Prime Minister assigned the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, in coordination with the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee, to promptly study an underground rail line connecting Tan Son Nhat Airport and Long Thanh Airport, and report to the Prime Minister for approval within August 2025.

At a working session in early August with the Government’s delegation on the progress of the Long Thanh Airport project, Chairman of the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee Vo Tan Duc proposed that the Prime Minister assign the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee to study a metro line connecting the two airports.

Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway plays an essential role in connecting Long Thanh Airport and Ho Chi Minh City

According to the master plan, phase 1 of Long Thanh International Airport is designed to handle 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo annually. Once fully completed, the airport's capacity is expected to reach 100 million passengers and 5 million tons of cargo per year.

Given this scale, a railway network is regarded as the solution to the “problem” of meeting passenger and cargo transport needs for Long Thanh Airport. Accordingly, the transportation connectivity plan for the airport has outlined investment in a number of railway lines.

In Notice No. 416/TB-VPCP, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested that the traffic system connecting Long Thanh Airport must be connected to expressways and railways.

In addition to the North–South high-speed railway line, which is planned to pass through the airport's central area, Long Thanh Airport will also be served by the Thu Thiem–Long Thanh and Bien Hoa–Vung Tau railway lines to meet passenger and cargo transportation needs.

In addition, Dong Nai province has planned to invest in extending the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro line from the center of the province to Long Thanh Airport.

By Pham Tung
Translated by Hong Van - Minho