First technical flight safely lands at Vietnam’s US$16-billion international airport

THE HANOI TIMES — A Boeing 787-9 aircraft operated by Vietnam Airlines from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City safely landed at Long Thanh International Airport at 3:58 PM on December 15.

This marks the success of the newly-built airport’s first technical flight ahead of its official opening scheduled for December 19.

The plane was greeted with a traditional water salute then towed by specialized vehicles to its parking stand, where routine procedures were carried out as same as a commercial flight.

Long Thanh International Airport is planned to receive its first official flights on December 19, when three aircrafts operated by three different airlines will depart from Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, land sequentially at Long Thanh and then return to Noi Bai.

To prepare for the limestone, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh last weekend requested stakeholders to speed up the construction of Long Thanh International Airport to make it ready for the first flight and commercial operations in the first half of 2026.

During his trip to inspect the project’s construction site, the Government leader expressed satisfaction that the first sub-project is nearing completion and expected to be ready by December 19, while the second is in the finishing stage, with equipment being installed to serve the first flight on schedule.

Chinh urged accelerating the completion of the third and fourth sub-projects, which cover ground service facilities.

He praised the units’ dedication and encouraged round-the-clock work, including nights and weekends, to speed up progress while ensuring quality, safety and environmental standards for the project.

The prime minister called on the military, particularly Military Region 7 and local units, to provide support, and urged the police to strengthen security and order in the construction site.

After inspecting the progress of roads leading to the Long Thanh International Airport, Chinh assigned specific responsibilities to ministries, localities and enterprises, expressing his belief that the airport and its supporting infrastructure will meet international standards.

Covering over 5,000 hectares in Long Thanh Commune, the airport project has been divided into three phases. Construction of the first phase, estimated to cost $5.4 billion, began in 2020. Basic construction is set for completion in 2025, with commercial operations expected in the first half of 2026

Once being put into operation, the airport is expected to welcome 25 million passengers and handle 1.2 million tons of cargo each year.