The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has proposed plans to transfer flight operations in Hồ Chí Minh City from Tân Sơn Nhất Airport to Long Thành International Airport in Đồng Nai Province. The plan aims to transfer 90% of HCMC’s international flight operations to Long Thành by 2027.

The roadmap for the plan consists of two phases. In phase 1, all long-haul international flights — accounting for approximately 19% of Saigon's international passenger traffic — will be moved from Tân Sơn Nhất to Long Thành. This first stage will span the start and end of the Winter 2026 flight schedule, beginning December 1, 2026 and ending in March 27, 2027. 

In phase 2, the remaining international flights will continue to be transferred, with the exception of short-haul routes under 1,000km operated by Vietnamese airlines — a radius which roughly encompasses regions in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Malaysia. The second phase would start March 28, 2027, the beginning of the Summer 2027 flight schedule, through 2030. By the end of the second phase, the aim is to have Long Thành handle 90% of international passenger traffic.

After 2030, all international flights would operate exclusively out of Long Thành. According to ACV, the state-owned joint-stock company that manages 22 airports across Vietnam, the goal is to establish Long Thành as a global aviation hub.

To develop operational expertise ahead of Long Thành’s opening, the ACV is implementing workforce training programs and has signed a consultancy agreement with South Korea’s Incheon Airport Consortium.

According to the ACV, it will be crucial for domestic airlines to move their operations to Long Thành promptly in the early stages of the plan. Hesitations to do so could pose significant risks to achieving project goals and diminishing investment efficiency. Citing analysis by consulting firm IAC, the ACV also warned that failing to concentrate international routes in Long Thành will fragment the flight network, causing Vietnamese airlines to lose significant market share to foreign competitors.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has set a hard deadline for Long Thành Airport to launch by late 2026. Major challenges remain, however, most recently concerning a shortage of 6,000 workers to finish construction on time.

Photo via Pháp Luật.