Ho Chi Minh City to shift international flights to Long Thanh airport in 2026

Two options for the future operating dual airports system

ACV has two options : a first one is to consolidate all international arrivals and departures at Long Thanh, complemented by some domestic flights. It would then transform the new airport into a powerful international hub for Ho Chi Minh City and the wider southeastern region. The approach mirrors successful models in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, or Seoul-Incheon.

The second option would split operations. Tan Son Nhat would manage domestic flights plus short-haul international routes under 1,000 kilometers, and Long Thanh handling long-haul international flights and some domestic connections.

In the first option -ACV’s preferred scenario, Tan Son Nhat would serve only domestic flights—about 29.5 million passengers annually. Meanwhile, Long Thanh would handle an estimated 19.1 million international passengers. As well as 1.5 million domestic transit travelers each year.

In the second option, Tan Son Nhat would still handle 3.8 million passengers on international routes. The airport would offer short flights to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Phnom Penh, Singapore and Vientiane. Long Thanh would then handle a volume of approximately 15.3 million international travelers per year.

A long time to wait until dedicated public transport serving Long Than

Located about 40 kilometers from central Ho Chi Minh City, Long Thanh will benefit of key road infrastructure. It includes the expansion of the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway and a new ring road. They should open at the same time than the new terminal.

However, dedicated public transport such as a metro line and a high-speed rail will take time. Passengers could wait at least a decade- for completion. The highways should cut travel times to town to 40–45 minutes under normal conditions, compared to nearly an hour to reach Tan Son Nhat during peak traffic.