Dividing the exploitation of Long Thanh and Tan Son Nhat airports into two phases

Inspection and calibration flights at Long Thanh airport are being conducted for 1 month - Photo: VATM

According to the Civil Aviation Authority, in order to effectively exploit Long Thanh and Tan Son Nhat airports in accordance with the roadmap for putting Long Thanh airport into operation, this agency has coordinated with the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) to research and analyze the plan for dividing exploitation between the two airports, and at the same time, absorb the opinions of airlines and domestic and international experts.

On that basis, the Civil Aviation Authority proposed principles and plans to divide the exploitation of Long Thanh - Tan Son Nhat airport into two phases.

Phase 2025-2030 : divide the exploitation of Long Thanh - Tan Son Nhat airport according to the following principles:

According to the feasibility study report of Long Thanh airport project phase 1 approved by the Prime Minister .

Will not consider granting operating licenses to Tan Son Nhat airport for new international flights, increasing flights to Ho Chi Minh City but will request to switch to operating at Long Thanh airport.

Airlines flights need to change operations from Tan Son Nhat to Long Thanh.

The division of flights from Tan Son Nhat to Long Thanh airport must be consistent with the progress of aviation infrastructure construction at Long Thanh airport and facilities serving the operations of airlines; the traffic system connecting from Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring areas to Long Thanh airport.

With international exploitation

Step 1: When Long Thanh airport is officially put into operation from June 2026 to October 24, 2026:

Long Thanh Airport: encourages airlines to switch to exploiting international routes between Vietnam and Europe, America, and Oceania; exploiting according to the needs of airlines; new international routes and additional flights to Ho Chi Minh City of airlines; irregular international commercial flights; charter flights.

Tan Son Nhat Airport: operates existing international routes; irregular international flights, charter flights; at this stage, no international operations are licensed to Tan Son Nhat.

Step 2: from October 25, 2026 to March 27, 2027 (winter flight schedule 2026):

Long Thanh Airport: in addition to the routes and flights in step 1, this time additional international routes between Vietnam - Africa, Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia will be added.

Tan Son Nhat Airport : maintain operations as in step 1.

Step 3 : from March 28 to October 30, 2027 (summer flight schedule 2027):

Long Thanh Airport : in addition to the routes and flights in step 2, international flights to/from Southeast Asia will be transferred to operate at Long Thanh Airport.

Tan Son Nhat Airport: existing international routes, except routes and flights that have been converted to Long Thanh; irregular international commercial flights, charter flights; no international operation license to Tan Son Nhat.

Step 4: from October 31, 2027 to March 25, 2028 (winter flight schedule 2027):

Long Thanh Airport : operates international routes and flights as in step 3. However, this airport does not operate international flights with a length of less than 1,000km.

Tan Son Nhat Airport : operates international flights under 1,000km; irregular international commercial flights, charter flights; no international operations license is granted to this airport.

Step 5: from March 25, 2028 to the end of 2030:

Long Thanh Airport: operates all international routes and flights, except for short international routes with a distance of less than 1,000km operated by Vietnamese airlines; new international routes and flights with increased frequency to/from Ho Chi Minh City area operated by airlines operating for the first time or by airlines operating at Tan Son Nhat; irregular international commercial flights; charter flights.

Tan Son Nhat Airport : handles regular international flights under 1,000km of Vietnamese airlines; irregular international commercial flights; charter flights.

On the division of domestic exploitation between the two airports

Implementing the plan approved in the feasibility study report of Long Thanh airport project phase 1: Tan Son Nhat airport continues to take on the main role of exploiting domestic flights, while Long Thanh airport only exploits a part according to demand.

The period after 2030

According to the Civil Aviation Authority, at this stage, the regional transport infrastructure (roads and railways) has been completed, Long Thanh will become a leading aviation center, integrated with an airport urban area.

Therefore, the Civil Aviation Authority recommends that during this period, all regular international flights will operate at Long Thanh airport. Tan Son Nhat will only operate domestic flights and irregular international commercial flights and charter flights.

The Civil Aviation Authority said it will continue to research, propose and recommend a plan to divide the exploitation of Long Thanh - Tan Son Nhat airport in accordance with the progress of completing connecting infrastructure and the ability to develop an integrated airport urban area, logistics center, free trade zone with Long Thanh airport.

In addition, the Civil Aviation Authority also recommended that the Ministry of Construction direct the acceleration of investment in the construction of road and railway projects connecting Long Thanh Airport - Ho Chi Minh City and other localities; and have policies on prices and fees to facilitate airlines in the process of converting operations.

Tuoitre.vn

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/phan-chia-khai-thac-san-bay-long-thanh-va-tan-son-nhat-theo-hai-giai-doan-20250929121904169.htm#content