Long Thanh International Airport

A comprehensive guide to the future new airport of Ho Chi Minh City

Long Thanh International Airport is the planned second airport of Ho Chi Minh City. Situated approximately 40 km east of the city centre, the airport will have enough space to eventually include 4 runways and serve over 100 million passengers annually. Such an ambitious size would put it up there with the largest airports in the world.

The new airport plan was announced as far back as 2004, and since then it has been plagued with delays. At this point land still hasn’t been cleared, and there has been ongoing funding and red tape issues that has held back the start of the project.

The latest update has the project starting construction in 2020 and operating with 1 runway by 2025. This page will be updated as the project progresses, and it includes an archive of major news updates.

Long Thanh International Airport Location

The new airport will be in the neighbouring province of Dong Nai, about 40km east of the city centre.

[View on Google Maps.]

The project site will cover 5,000 hectares (50 Sq KM), which is part of why it’s so far away from the city. While the land looks undeveloped on the map, there are still people living in the area. There is a rubber plantation, farmland, and an estimated 5,000 households with 17,000 people living there.

Another thing to note about the location is that the area east of the Saigon River is part of a master plan to create a new urban area. This area includes the Thu Thiem New Urban Area in District 2, and District 9 which borders Dong Nai province.

Long Thanh International Airport transport

Long Thanh is a long way from the city compared to the current airport, so there will need to be transport infrastructure in place before it opens. Highway access to the airport is already complete, with the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway having opened in 2015.

There is also a plan for a new bridge at Cat Lai, where a ferry currently operates on the Dong Nai River. This is not a direct route, but it will add more road capacity and be another option for getting to the airport should there be a problem on the expressway.

There was a proposal to build a dedicated highway between the two airports, to be used exclusively for traffic between the two airports. That will surely not be considered a feasible option.

What is missing is a detailed plan for rail transport. One of the earlier plans had a high-speed railway stop at Long Thanh connected to the new railway station for Ho Chi Minh City (Thu Thiem). This would then continue on the north-south mainline towards Nha Trang.

There has also been talk of a light rail connecting Thu Thiem to the new airport, but there is no official plan on the MAUR website. Whatever is planned, there needs to be a rail link to the central city if this is going to be successful mega airport hub of Southeast Asia. It will make a terrible first impression on visitors if they are dumped miles away in the next province and then have to slog it out in traffic to get to District 1.

In my Ho Chi Minh City Metro Concept Map, I propose building a new metro line that would connect the two airports via the city. This would be similar to what Shanghai has done, where Line 2 connects Shanghai Hongqiao and Shanghai Pudong. Ho Chi Minh City will need more metro lines than is already planned, thus the map is subtitled “if Saigon had a subway like Shanghai”.

You can see this proposal on the map as Line 11.

[Ho Chi Minh City Metro Concept Map. Download the full size here.]

Why is there a going to be a new airport?

Tan Son Nhat (SGN) is the current airport that serves Ho Chi Minh City. It was first built by the French colonial government in the 1930’s. It was then expanded by the Americans during the war, where it became one of the busiest military airbases in the world. At the time the airport was on the northern outskirts of the city centre. Today the city has well and truly engulfed the airport as the urban sprawl continues north of the airport towards Cu Chi District.

It’s quite a spectacle to land at SGN as most big airports in the region have moved outside their city centres. If you are in an A-seat when landing from the east you get a great view of the city while flying over the skinny houses.

At a mere 5.45 sq km, Tan Son Nhat is one of the smallest airports compared to cities the same size. The new airport was meant to be open long before TSN reached its capacity, and also air traffic growth in Vietnam has grown faster than was predicted. There is military land on the northern side of the airport that currently hosts a golf course and resort.

Some of this land is being turned over to the airport to make extra space. The expansion will add another 246 hectares, bring the total size 791 hectares. At 7.91 sq km that is still small compared to other airports in the region, but it will buy some time while the new airport is being built.

The old airport will still operate, so Ho Chi Minh City will have two airports (like Bangkok and Shanghai). It’s not determined what airlines will fly from which airport. It may end up like Bangkok, where the old airport serves low cost airlines. Another suggestion has the new airport serving long haul or beyond-ASEAN flights. That though would be problematic for Vietnam Airlines, who fly long haul flights and then feed passengers into the domestic network. It would have to be like the Bangkok model, or grouped by alliances to allow seamless transfers with codeshared flights.

Are there alternative airport locations?

Vietnam has several airports left over from the American War that have since been turned into civilian airports. One such airport is Cam Ranh (30 km south of Nha Trang), which is now the main airport of the city.

The nearest established airport to Ho Chi Minh City is Bien Hoa Air Base, which is also in Dong Nai province about 25 km from the city centre. That is not an option as it’s still used by the Vietnam People’s Air Force. It also happens to be one of the most polluted sites in Southeast Asia as it was an Agent Orange storage facility. Work to decontaminate the site began in 2019.

Long Thanh compared to other airports

To get an idea of how big this airport will be, this is a comparison of other airports in Vietnam, competing regional hubs in Southeast Asia, and comparisons of cities in China. This includes Beijing (PKX), a new airport that will open later in 2019 that is built for 100 million passengers per year.

Comparison of passenger and aircraft movements

Long Thanh International Airport Design

In 2016 nine potential design plans were selected from an earlier architectural competition held by the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV). These designs then went on public display in Hanoi, Da Nang, Dong Nai, and Ho Chi Minh City. All nine finalists can be seen here.

From this list three finalists were shortlisted as potential designs:

LT-03

[Interior of concept design LT-03.]

LT-04

[Interior of concept design LT-04.]

LT-07

[Interior of concept design LT-07.]

The Transport Ministry chose the lotus-inspired design (LT-03) submitted by Heerim Architects & Planners Co.Ltd from the Republic of Korea.

According to Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho, the selected designs will be used in a feasibility report of the project, which will be submitted to the National Assembly in late 2019.

[Video from Heerim Architects & Planners Co.,Ltd..]

Name and airport code

Long Thanh International Airport is named after its location in the district of Long Thanh in Dong Nai province.

There is no 3-letter IATA code yet, so while I was looking for this information I was wondering what it could be. The following codes are already taken:

HCM – Eyl, Somalia.
LTI – Altai, Mongolia.
LTX – Latacunga, Ecuador.
SGX – Songea, Tanzania.

An available code that could be used is LTH.

Another (less likely) option is to switch the codes with Tan Son Nhat (SGN). I put this here as an option as there has been a precedent with this in Bangkok. When Suvarnabhumi Airport opened in 2006 it took the BKK IATA code that was used at the old Bangkok International Airport. The old airport reopened in 2007 after petitioning from low-cost airlines, and it was renamed Don Mueang International Airport (DMK).

This would not be likely as SGN is associated with the Tan Son Nhat location, and it’s not going to close. When the original BKK closed it wasn’t expecting to be reopened. There would also be the matter of finding a new IATA code for Tan Son Nhat, as TSN is already taken by Tianjin in China.

News Chronology

This section is an archive of news updates for the new airport project. It features news, milestones, design concepts, updated timelines, and other controversies and cost blowouts. News articles go back as far as 2004.

2023

Long Thanh International Airport project checked owing to dust pollution – [07/03/23]

Investor proposes delaying planned completion of Vietnam’s Long Thanh airport project component – [05/03/23]

Long Thanh airport land must be cleared now: deputy PM – [21/02/23]

Task force formed to speed up Long Thanh International Airport project – [16/02/23]

New bidding launched to find Long Thanh airport builder – [03/02/23]
“The investor of the Long Thanh Airport project has launched a second bidding invitation to find a contractor ready to build the facility’s passenger terminal after a false start last year.”

Units managing construction of Vietnam’s largest airport to be rebuked for failing to find builder – [30/01/23]

Problems must be settled for Long Thanh airport construction: PM – [29/01/23]

Workers still on shift for Long Thanh airport construction during Tet – [19/01/23]
“Contractors will still deploy over 2,000 machines, equipment, engineers and workers for the construction of Long Thanh international airport during the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, reported the project’s management board on January 18.”

ACC raises possible issues with Long Thanh airport project – [16/01/23]

2022

Long Thanh airport construction causes excessive air pollution – [31/12/22]

Vietnam lacks builder for new airport – [22/12/22]

Bid package of VND35.23 trillion to build Long Thanh airport terminal canceled – [19/12/22]
“According to ACV, the reason for cancellation is that all bids do not meet the requirements of the bidding documents, based on Clause 1, Article 17 of the Bidding Law. Currently, ACV has notified contractors to come to ACV’s office to receive back the financial proposal and release the bid security following the law on bidding. ACV also said that it would organize a rebidding for this bid package.”

Vietnam’s biggest airport in the making still stuck at site clearance – [16/10/22]
“Construction of Vietnam’s biggest airport to be has slowed down with 70 ha of land yet to be transferred to contractors.”

NA leader calls for ground clearance at Long Thành Int’l Airport to be accelerated – [03/10/22]

NA Chairman checks construction progress of Long Thanh Airport project – [02/10/22]

Construction starts on Long Thanh airport’s flight management works – [29/09/22]

Long Thanh airport set to serve first flight in September 2025 – [12/09/22]

Work to start on major routes to Long Thanh airport in December – [30/08/22]

Work on Long Thanh airport’s terminal to start in October – [05/08/22]

Construction of Long Thanh Airport’s runways, taxiways to be started in December – [04/08/22]

Ministry urges Đồng Nai Province to complete roads leading to Long Thành airport – [25/07/22]

Three operation control centres for Long Thanh Airport get green light – [20/07/22]

Resettlement project of Vietnam’s biggest airport to-be left abandoned – [18/07/22]
“Works to serve residents who have been relocated to build Long Thanh airport remain unfinished due to building material price hikes.”

Progress of Long Thanh int’l airport project must be ensured: Deputy PM – [16/07/22]
“Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh chaired a meeting of the Government’s Steering Committee for the implementation of Long Thanh International Airport project on July 16, during which he asked for more efforts to ensure the project’s progress.”

Long Thành airport land acquisition disbursal tops 68 per cent – [06/07/22]

Deputy Minister of Transport inspects progress of Long Thanh Int’l Airport – [05/07/22]
“According to ACV’s report, ground leveling with a volume of more than 12.9 million m3 of sandy soil has been completed. Engineering designs of runways, passenger terminals, parking areas along with other supporting facilities have been implemented under the directions of Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh.”

No more time for delays to Long Thành Airport – [15/06/22]

Nearly 120 million USD to be used to build 4 aircraft maintenance workshops at Long Thanh airport – [03/05/22]

Construction of Vietnam’s biggest airport reaches passenger terminal phase – [30/03/22]
“After more than a month of leveling ground for the Long Thanh airport project, contractors have progressed on to the passenger terminal.”

Light rail transit to link HCMC urban area with new airport – [30/03/22]

Construction of Long Thanh int’l airport accelerated – [30/03/22]

Minister orders daily review of Long Thanh airport progress – [21/03/22]

1,000 join forces to level ground for Vietnam’s biggest airport to-be – [18/03/22]
“More than 1,000 workers and engineers are operating 600 vehicles and machines to level ground and build a drainage system for Long Thanh International Airport.”

Tardy Đồng Nai urged to hand over remaining land soon for Long Thành airport – [16/03/22]

First phase of Long Thanh Airport to be ready in September 2025 – [23/02/22]

Work on Long Thanh airport stalls, PM wonders if deadline will be met – [14/02/22]

Many limitations persist in megaproject Long Thành Airport: PM – [07/02/22]

PM dissatisfied with Long Thanh airport progress – [06/02/22]

Airports operator promises to finish Long Thanh airport 6 months early – [25/01/22]

Southern province to spend $857 mln on three highways linking Long Thanh airport – [02/01/22]

2021

Dong Nai seeks $180 mln for Long Thanh Airport road link – [28/11/21]

Lateness in Long Thanh International Airport construction due to land clearance – [22/11/21]

Vietnam aims to put Long Thanh Airport into service by 2025 – [02/11/21]

Work on major components at Long Thanh Airport to begin in 2022 – [14/10/21]

Đồng Nai asked to speed up ground clearance for Long Thành airport project – [15/09/21]

Long Thanh airport’s first phase expected to become operational in late 2025 – [06/09/21]

Construction of Long Thanh Airport’s terminal, runway slated for Q1 2022 – [01/07/21]
“The construction of a passenger terminal and a runway of the Long Thanh International Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai will begin in the first quarter of 2022 once ground clearance is completed, according to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV).”

HCMC proposes metro link to new mega airport – [18/06/21]
“HCMC has proposed a metro line is extended to connect the Tan Son Nhat airport with the new Long Thanh International Airport.”

Southern province to build roads to Long Thanh Airport – [24/05/21]
“Dong Nai Province has approved plans to build two new roads to Long Thanh International Airport and upgrade two others at a cost of VND7.1 trillion ($308 million).”

Long Thanh Airport – a magnet for real estate investment in HCM City’s east – [20/03/21]

Vietnam Airlines to invest $430 mln to offer ground services at Long Thanh airport – [25/02/21]

More than $217 million compensated to locals in Long Thành airport project site – [04/02/21]

MoT establish taskforce to support Long Thanh International Airport – [02/02/21]

Dong Nai plans $294 mln to build more roads connecting to Long Thanh Airport – [19/01/21]

Long Thanh International Airport hikes land prices in surroundings – [18/01/21]

Work begins on Long Thanh Airport – [05/01/21]
“The $4.6 billion first phase of the airport in Dong Nai Province is set to be completed by 2025 when it will be able to handle 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo a year.”

Southern province plans $69 mln road expansion to boost new airport links – [03/01/21]

2020

ACV to invest more than $4.3 billion in Long Thanh Int’l Airport – [20/12/20]

Airport operator expected to profit from new airport investment – [08/12/20]

Civil aviation agency could empty cash reserves for new airport – [01/12/20]
“The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) might have to use up five years of cash reserves for building the Long Thanh International Airport.”

Construction of Long Thanh Airport to begin next month – [16/11/20]
“The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) plans to begin construction of the Long Thanh International Airport in December and complete it by 2025.”

Government greenlights Long Thanh International Airport – [13/11/20]

Long Thanh property market expects to take off – [07/11/20]
“The development of Long Thanh International Airport is expected to directly affect the real estate market in the southern province of Dong Nai and neighbouring areas.”

Police establish special unit to ensure security for mega airport project in southern Vietnam – [03/11/20]

Dong Nai hands over 2,600 hectares for Long Thanh airport construction – [21/10/20]
“It includes 1,800 hectares required for the first phase of the airport, whose construction is scheduled to begin in early 2021, while the rest is for the second phase.”

Finance ministry concerned about costly investment in Long Thanh airport – [17/10/20]

New $200 mln roads proposed for Long Thanh Airport – [08/10/20]

Long Thanh Airport price tag down $111 mln after assessment – [08/10/20]

Dong Nai basically completes ground clearance for first phase of Long Thanh airport – [06/10/20]
“The southern province of Dong Nai has basically completed ground clearance work to the first phase of Long Thanh International Airport, according to the provincial People’s Committee.”

Dong Nai urged to hand over ‘clean land’ for Long Thanh Airport – [01/08/20]

Construction plan of Long Thanh airport to be submitted to prime minister this month – [02/06/20]

Long Thanh airport: 17 families receive $3 million compensation – [18/05/20]

13,800 workers needed to build, operate Long Thanh Airport – [06/05/20]

Vietnam’s megaairport project moves forward as compensation plan approved – [20/04/20]
“The administration in the southern Vietnamese province of Dong Nai has approved a plan to compensate residents affected by the site clearance of an over-3,000-hectare area for the construction of a megaairport.”

Work on Long Thanh Airport can begin in May 2021: ACV – [16/04/20]
“Construction of the Long Thanh International Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai can start May 2021 and finish late 2025, Airports Corporation of Vietnam said.”

PM asks Đồng Nai to expedite site clearance for Long Thành International Airport – [08/04/20]

Faster pace required for Long Thanh airport plan – [17/03/20]

Assessment of Long Thanh airport’s feasibility study must be done by March – [04/02/20]

2019

Swedish SEK proposed a commercial loan of over US$1 billion for the construction of Long Thanh airport – [29/11/19]

Resolution on Long Thanh International Airport approved – [27/11/19]

Lawmakers approve $4.8 billion first phase of Long Thanh airport – [26/11/19]

Experts want ACV as Long Thanh airport builder – [24/11/19]

Infographic: How Long Thanh airport will be built – [18/11/19]

NA concerned over Long Thanh airport developer’s financial wherewithal – [13/11/19]

ACV proposed as investor in Long Thanh airport – [15/10/19]

ACV should be Long Thanh airport investor: government – [12/11/19]

Long haul flights to shift from Tan Son Nhat to Long Thanh airport [05/08/19]

Transport ministry prefers Vietnamese aviation firm as Long Thanh Airport investor – [04/08/19]

Long Thanh Airport to be equipped with modern technologies [01/08/19]

Feasibility study for Long Thanh airport project completed [16/07/19]

Dong Nai removes entire commune to make room for Long Thanh Airport [7/6/19]

Minister asks for feasibility study of Long Thanh airport by late May [21/3/19]
Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The has asked the consultancy agencies of Long Thanh international airport to complete the project’s feasibility study by May 30, so the ministry can consider and verify it before submitting to the Government in early June.

Long Thanh airport construction set for 2020 start [14/2/19]
Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has urged agencies to work together closely to ensure that construction of Long Thanh International Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai will begin next year.

Vietnamese firm seeks main investor status in Long Thanh airport [11/2/19]
The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) desires to be the main investor in the Long Thanh International Airport.

Work on Long Thanh Airport project to start by end-2020 [1/1/19]
In the first phase, which is slated for completion by 2025, the airport will have one runway and one passenger terminal able to handle 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo per year. The project costs an estimated VND336.6 trillion, or US$16.03 billion, with VND114.5 trillion for the first phase.

2018

Vietnam may start building its biggest airport in 2020 [20/11/18]

Dong Nai to hand over land for Long Thanh airport [14/11/18]

Site clearance for Long Thành International Airport behind schedule [23/10/18]
The land clearance project, handled by the provincial People’s Committee, has lagged behind schedule due to the People’s Committee’s lack of experience in carrying out feasibility study reports on land clearance.

Consulting firms from Japan, France, Vietnam to begin feasibility study for Long Thanh Airport this June [23/5/18]

Vietnam urged to get construction of new mega-airport off the ground [30/3/18]
Experts say the construction cost of Long Thanh Airport could double every five years.

Long Thanh airport project will cost much more if delayed [29/3/18]
Site clearance and funding are among the issues that might cause delays in the big-ticket Long Thanh International Airport project in Dong Nai Province, which will in turn send its cost soaring, heard a seminar in HCMC on March 28.

2017

Land clearance for Long Thanh airport project sped up [4/12/17]

Long Thanh Airport site clearance costs an estimated US$1 billion [27/10/17]
The costs of site clearance and compensation for Long Thanh Airport are estimated at VND23 trillion (US$1 billion), according to a feasibility report presented to the National Assembly by the Ministry of Transport (MOT).

Winning designs of Long Thanh airport honoured 22/9/17]

Dong Nai halts licensing of construction around Long Thanh airport [23/8/17]
The People’s Committee of Dong Nai province has suspended the licensing of construction projects in residential areas around the planned Long Thanh International Airport in an effort to prevent speculation and higher land prices.

Real estate booms around Long Thanh Airport project [2/8/17]
Middlemen and real estate brokers are making false offers for houses and lands around Long Thanh Airport project.

Lotus-inspired design chosen for Long Thanh int’l airport [20/7/17]

2016

Design for airport terminal open for public comment [1/12/16]
The display open for public comment will take place at the Viet Nam Art and Culture Exhibition Centre in Ha Noi from November 28 to December 12, and in Da Nang from December 16 to 25. It will be held in Dong Nai from December 28 to January 11, and in HCM City from January 13 to 23.

[Design concept LT-03.]

Deputy PM urges construction on Vietnam’s new $16bn airport to begin by 2019 [12/7/16]

[Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung (2nd L) reviews the planning map of Long Thanh International Airport.]

Vietnam delays work on largest airport until 2021: report [5/7/16]
“State-owned Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has confirmed that complex preparatory work will delay the construction of the country’s US$15.8 billion airport near Ho Chi Minh City.”

Long Thanh airport project likely years behind schedule [20/01/16]

2015

Long Thanh Airport’s feasibility study may cost $35.1 million [15/09/15]

No-bid contract proposal for Long Thanh airport design draws fire [2/9/15]
Airports Corporation of Vietnam’s (ACV) proposal to award a no-bid feasibility study and design consulting contract for a new international airport in Long Thanh, Dong Nai Province has encountered criticism.

Architects call for contest to find design for Vietnam’s multibillion-dollar airport [30/8/15]
The request from the Vietnam Association of Architects came after Airports Corporation of Vietnam, owner of the Long Thanh Airport project, revealed its plan to let a yet-to-be-announced consultant work on both the feasibility study and the design.

National Assembly ratifies construction of $16bn airport in southern Vietnam [25/6/15]
The proposed Long Thanh International Airport received the green light from the law-making National Assembly, which passed a resolution for the project during a National Assembly meeting in Hanoi on June 25, 2015.

Vietnam makes back-to-back cuts to largest airport project, but budget concerns remain [27/2/15]

2014

Vietnam transport ministry gives inconsistent statements about airport creditor [24/10/14]
The transport ministry said that French airport operator ADPM wants to offer a loan of US$2 billion for the proposed airport in Dong Nai, contradicting its earlier statement that another French firm, ADPI, was the potential investor.

amchamvietnam.com/national-assembly-to-consider-long-thanh-airport-project/
National Assembly to consider Long Thanh Airport Report [19/10/14]

[Map of Long Thanh international Airport in Dong Nai Province.]

Ho Chi Minh City requests railway link to new airport [8/10/14]

Vietnam airport plan returned for clarifications [28/3/14]
The Ministry of Planning and Investment has returned a proposal to build a controversial international airport near Ho Chi Minh City saying it is too vague and lacks certain details.

Over 3,300 households displaced for airport project [21/03/14]
Over 5,300 families will be affected by the project, with 3,300 households to be displaced, over 1,500 tombs removed, and five schools and three government offices relocated. Compensation and resettlement costs estimated at VND20.7 trillion, or US$1 billion.

$975.5 mln needed for site clearance in airport project [14/3/14]

2011

New airport in Dong Nai expected to open by 2020 [10/03/11]

2010

Spanish firm to build three airports [22/1/10]
Spanish airport builder Garuda Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the municipal People’s Committee to undertake the Long Thanh airport feasibility.

2005

The Long Thanh International Airport project approved [26/07/05]
The new airport will have four runways of 4000 metres length and 60 metres width, capable of accommodating the Airbus A380. The airport will be designed to handle 100 million passengers and 5 million tons of cargo per year, and is scheduled to be completed in 2011.

2004

Southern province to see new airport [26/06/04]