Vietnam authorities finally take a decision on air traffic distribution between Tan Son Nhat and Long Thanh airports in Saigon

Vietnam’s brand new Long Thanh International Airport (LTH) in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is preparing for its first technical flights on December 19, 2025. Full commercial operations are targeted for June 2026.

The project is designed to relieve congestion at Ho Chi Minh City’s overloaded Tan Sơn Nhat Airport (SGN). The ultimate target is to establish a new international gateway for Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing aviation market.

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), which operates the project, intends now to shift all long-haul international flights from SGN to LTH. Under the plan, the new hub will initially handle services from Europe, India, the Middle East, and North America. It will then expand to accommodate Northeast Asia by 2027, according to deputy director Trương Trung Thanh.

Tan Son Nhat would continue serving domestic flights and short-haul regional services within Southeast Asia.

To manage the transition, an airline consultation committee has been established. National carrier Vietnam Airlines and low-cost rival Vietjet Air are expected to anchor operations at Long Thanh. Vietjet has also announced plans to build a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility on site. Major cargo carriers, including FedEx and UPS, have expressed strong interest in operating from the new hub.

The government has pressed the airport’s authority ACV to keep the project on schedule. Thanh said the corporation is working closely with contractors and suppliers to meet the December deadline for test flights. ACV’s chairman has also engaged European equipment providers to address potential supply-chain bottlenecks.

Unlocking step by step Long Thanh potential

When it opens, Long Thanh will have an initial handling capacity of 2.6 million passengers during the first operational months. Long Thanh’s Phase 1 will consist of one runway and one passenger terminal. Once completed, the terminal will handle up to 25 million passengers annually. By the end of 2027, throughput is expected to reach 15 million passengers as airlines gradually transition services to the new hub. Around 5–10% of traffic is expected to be domestic, mainly feeding into international services.

The long-term master plan envisions four terminals capable of processing up to 100 million passengers a year across multiple development phases. Phase 2 is due to be completed by 2035 (50 million passengers) and phase 3 by 2050. 

Infrastructure upgrades are also underway. New road projects are being accelerated, and a high-speed rail link to Ho Chi Minh City is planned to ensure connectivity. The rail route will span approximately 42 km. It will be designed for trains running at a speed of up to 120 km/h and will include 20 stations, serving both intra-city and inter-provincial passengers traveling from HCMC and Dong Nai. A Chinese rail company already submit a bid to build the train line. Experts warn that without reliable ground transport, the efficiency of the new airport could be compromised.

With Vietnam’s international passenger traffic expected to surge in the next decade, Long Thanh is poised to become the country’s primary international hub, reshaping the region’s aviation landscape. While the historical Tan Son Nhat will continue to operate at least for another decade.