Vietnam’s Mega Airport Set for December Opening as Trial Operations Begin This Fall

After years of construction, Vietnam’s largest airport project is entering its final stretch. Long Thanh International Airport, designed to become one of Southeast Asia’s major aviation hubs, is expected to begin commercial operations in December following a series of trial runs starting in September.

For travelers flying to Vietnam in the coming years, Long Thanh could become the country’s new front door.

Located about 40 kilometers east of Ho Chi Minh City, the airport is being built to ease pressure on the increasingly congested Tan Son Nhat International Airport, which currently serves as southern Vietnam’s primary aviation gateway.

Project developer Airports Corporation of Vietnam announced that testing of airport systems and equipment will take place in three phases between September and November, with commercial operations expected to begin in December if the schedule remains on track.

Entering the Final Phase

According to project officials, the airport has now reached nearly 76 percent completion, with several critical components already finished.

The first runway and aircraft apron have been completed, while fuel infrastructure, terminal aprons, and transport connections are all approaching the finish line. Construction teams are now focused on the airport’s passenger terminal, where interior finishing work and equipment installation are underway.

The project is entering what officials describe as its most demanding stage, where success depends less on heavy construction and more on coordinating thousands of systems, safety checks, and operational testing.

To keep the project on schedule, contractors plan to expand the workforce to more than 9,000 workers and continue round the clock construction operations.

Why Long Thanh Matters

Long Thanh is far more than another airport expansion project.

The development is widely viewed as one of Vietnam’s most important infrastructure investments, reflecting the country’s ambitions to become a major transportation and logistics hub in Southeast Asia.

Passenger traffic in Vietnam has grown rapidly over the past decade, fueled by tourism, foreign investment, and the emergence of the country as a manufacturing powerhouse. Existing airports, particularly Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City, have struggled to keep pace with demand.

Once operational, Long Thanh is expected to play a central role in supporting future growth while improving international connectivity for both business and leisure travelers.

A New Gateway for Southern Vietnam

For international visitors, the airport could eventually transform how they arrive in Vietnam.

Rather than relying solely on Tan Son Nhat’s heavily congested facilities, travelers heading to Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam’s southern economic region will have access to a modern airport designed with significantly greater long term capacity.

The first phase will mark only the beginning of a much larger vision. When fully completed in the coming decades, Long Thanh is expected to rank among the largest airport developments in Asia, reinforcing Vietnam’s position as one of the region’s fastest growing aviation markets.

Countdown to Takeoff

The next few months will be crucial.

September’s trial operations will test everything from airport systems and equipment to operational readiness. If those exercises proceed as planned, Vietnam could welcome its first passengers through Long Thanh before the end of the year.

For a project that has been discussed for more than a decade, that moment would represent more than the opening of a new airport. It would mark the arrival of a new era for Vietnamese aviation.