Good news after a decade of waiting. The new mega-airport at Long Than serving Ho Chi Minh City and the surrounding region is nearing completion. The hub, 40 km from the old Saigon, will officially open on 19 December 2025..
The transfer of flights should begin in the early months of 2026.once the inevitable running-in phases have passed. This transfer will finally relieve the current airport, known for the chronic congestion of its facilities. By 2024, Tan Son Nhat had welcomed almost 40 million passengers for a capacity of 30 million. The opening in April of Terminal 3, reserved for domestic traffic, nevertheless improved passenger handling. However, this did not improve the saturated runway system.
Two scenarios on the table
Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) is considering two options. The first, and preferred, option would be to consolidate all international flights at Long Thanh.with a few domestic routes for connecting passengers. Tan Son Nhat would then concentrate solely on domestic flights, with an estimated 29.5 million passengers per year. Long Thanh, on the other hand, would handle an estimated 19.1 million international passengers and 1.5 million passengers on domestic routes.
The second option would maintain certain international connections at Tan Son Nhat. short-haul (less than 1,000 km). For example to Bangkok, Kuala LumpurPhnom Penh or Singapore. This represents traffic of 3.8 million passengers. Long Thanh would welcome 15.3 million international passengers in its first year of operation.
The authorities are also rushing to finish the future motorways and the urban ring road linking Long Than to Saigon. Although a metro and even a high-speed train are planned for Vietnam's new mega-airport, it will be at least a decade before they become a reality...
