In mid-August 2025, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Construction and the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) – the company managing and operating most of Vietnam’s civil airports – to study and propose the construction plan of the third runway at Long Thanh International Airport. Following this directive, ACV has submitted a report proposing to be assigned as the investor for Phase 2 of the Project and to commence construction of the third runway ahead of schedule. The proposal aims to ensure timely project progress while leveraging available resources to shorten construction time and reduce overall investment costs.
According to the airport’s master plan, following Phase 2 there will be a total of three runways and two passenger terminals, designed to handle 50 million passengers and 1.5 million tons of cargo annually by 2030. The third runway, measuring 4,000 meters long and 60 meters wide, will accommodate large aircrafts such as the Airbus A380. Together with Terminal 2, this runway constitutes a key component of Phase 2. ACV believes that by utilizing manpower and equipment already deployed for the two existing runways, it would be technically feasible to commence construction of the third runway during the 2025-2026 dry season, thereby accelerating the overall project timeline. Early completion would also help minimize dust and noise impacts once Phase 1 becomes operational in the first half of 2026.
Meanwhile, the first runway has been substantially completed and has met the requirements for calibration flights since 26 September 2025. The second runway, which began construction in June 2025, is scheduled for completion in December 2025. As a result, Phase 1 of Long Thanh Airport is set to welcome its first commercial flight on 19 December 2025, and officially enter operations in the first half of 2026, in line with the Prime Minister’s directive.
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References: 1. Tuoi Tre, 2 October 2025
https://tuoitre.vn/acv-de-xuat-xay-som-duong-bang-thu-3-san-bay-long-thanh-20251002102034919.htm
2. Vietnam Biz, 3 October 2025
