Phu Quoc opens new runway as phoenix-inspired terminal takes shape for APEC 2027

Phu Quoc International Airport on Vietnam's largest island put its second runway into commercial operation on Thursday morning after eight months of construction. At 7:05 a.m., the first aircraft landed on Runway 2 at Phu Quoc airport, marking the start of its commercial operation. With Runway 2 in service, the airport will close Runway 1 for six months to extend it from 3,000 m to 3,500 m. Runway 1 is expected to reopen in May 2027. Runway 2 is 3,300 m long and 45 m wide, meets the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Code E standard, able to receive wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 747, Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, and is equipped with an ILS/DME precision landing system. A day earlier, workers scraped away and cleared patches of loose asphalt along the edges of Runway 2. Investor Sun Group and more than 20 contractors and consultants carried out the project in harsh island weather, with most materials shipped in by sea, labor in short supply and fuel prices high. Many components were completed after three months of Phu Quoc's rainy season. Hundreds of CAT II lights have been installed along both sides of the new runway. The signage was finished months ago, ready for operations. Before entering service, the runway had to pass four steps of inspection, assessment and calibration flights to meet strict technical and aviation safety requirements. Drains run along the runway to carry off water during Phu Quoc's rainy season. The airport will use a range of modern aviation technologies, including integrated operations management, biometrics for contactless journeys, automated baggage handling, automated parking, underground hydrant refueling and remote-controlled jet bridges, as it aims to become a smart airport. The steel roof and unitized glass curtain wall of the airport's first phase are in their final stages. The project uses more than 51,000 metric tons of structural steel, about 33,000 tons of it in the roof, including the piers. The terminal's entrance hall is getting its canopy and interior finishes. In recent days, engineers have been operating, calibrating and test-running the conveyor system on the terminal's second floor. Much of the equipment has been delivered and sits wrapped in plastic, awaiting operation. Inside Terminal 2 (T2), the three-level automated baggage handling system runs more than 8 km in phase one and can process 7,560 departing and 6,300 arriving bags an hour, with sorting accuracy of up to 99%. On average, more than 6,000 engineers and workers are on site each day, working in shifts rain or shine to keep the project on schedule. The elevated approach road in front of T2 is taking shape. Once upgraded, Runway 1 and T2 will help the airport run long-haul wide-body flights to Europe, the Middle East and Northeast Asia more efficiently. During APEC Economic Leaders' Week 2027, the airport will be able to receive state, charter and commercial flights at the same time. More than 90% of the work on the terminal's first floor is complete. Construction of T2 is being accelerated so it can open when Runway 1 returns to service in May 2027. Nearby, the 9,890 sq.m VIP terminal on a 5.3-hectare site is in its finishing stage. It has its own access to the apron, separate from commercial passenger traffic, and will use biometric identification, contactless procedures and advance passport data processing to shorten checks and ensure security. Under the operating plan, it can serve one Airbus A320 flight with about 185-230 passengers, or a state flight with a delegation of up to 300. Its exterior was designed by Italian architect Marco Casamonti, who also designed Phu Quoc's Kiss Bridge, with a form inspired by the eagle ray, whose wing-like fins symbolize freedom and the enduring strength of the ocean. Construction began on Sept. 15, 2025, and is scheduled to finish by the end of March 2027.