Nearly all Ho Chi Minh City international flights to move to Long Thanh airport by spring 2028

Vietnam's aviation regulator has approved a three-stage plan to move almost all of Ho Chi Minh City's international flights to Long Thanh by March 2028. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam endorsed the timetable proposed by state operator Airports Corporation of Vietnam in a report made public on July 28.The timetable sets three phases of international flight allocation from Tan Son Nhat to Long Thanh, 40 km east of HCMC, which is set to open for commercial traffic on Dec. 1.In the first phase, from Dec. 1 until March 27, 2027, airlines are encouraged to move international services, cargo included, to Long Thanh at their own discretion.During the 2027 summer schedule, from March 28 to Oct. 29, all long-haul flights to and from Europe, the Americas, Oceania, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Central Asia will operate from Long Thanh.From Oct. 30, 2027 to March 25, 2028, all remaining international flights follow. Only scheduled routes shorter than 1,000 km flown by Vietnamese carriers stay at Tan Son Nhat.Tan Son Nhat, Vietnam's now busiest airport, will be then left as a largely domestic and short-haul operation.Vietnamese carriers can operate domestic services from either airport throughout all three stages.Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet and Vietravel Airlines have agreed to the timetable. Vietnam Airlines has registered Long Thanh services to Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Manila, and Vietjet has registered domestic routes to Hanoi, Hai Phong, Vinh and Thanh Hoa. The passenger terminal at Long Thanh airport during roofing work, August 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Phuoc Tuan Trial operations at Long Thanh will run across September, October and November in three rounds, under contract with the operator of South Korea's Incheon International Airport. Known in the industry as ORAT, they test baggage systems, immigration desks, fuel lines and ground handling running together under load.Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation reported its communication, navigation and surveillance systems, control tower, flight procedures and specialized equipment essentially finished and now in calibration. Cabling from the tower to associated buildings remains.Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai City People's Committees have been urged to accelerate connecting roads and organize public transport to the new airport. The 47.7-km Thu Thiem-Long Thanh rail line into central Ho Chi Minh City is expected to enter service in 2030.Long Thanh is the largest and most expensive airport project in Vietnam's history, budgeted at VND336.63 trillion (US$12.79 billion) across all phases. The first phase is designed for 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo a year, rising to 100 million passengers when fully built.The airport held a ceremonial technical opening on Dec. 19, 2025, when the first aircraft landed, and has carried no scheduled passengers since.Tan Son Nhat handled 42.1 million passengers in 2025, up 6.3%, against the 50-million design capacity it reached when its T3 terminal opened in April 2025.