Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City's gateway by air, will be connected directly to downtown by metro. The plan the city unveiled on July 27Metro Line 6will run 19 of its roughly 23km underground, linking Terminals 1 through 3 all by underground stations. Construction is set to begin within the year, targeting completion in 2030. Around the airport, where congestion is chronic, the plan would change both residents' commutes and business travelers' airport access.
19 of 23 km underground; ST02 and ST03 connect all three terminals
Under the plan, Line 6 spans a total length of about23km, of which about 19 km runs underground. The line has 17 stations in all—13 underground and 4 at or above ground. At its core are ST02 and ST03, the two stations directly beneath the airport, which connect all three of Tan Son Nhat's terminals underground. The current routine—dragging your suitcase to line up at a taxi stand under the blazing sun after landing—shifts to one that stays indoors all the way to the station. Trains run at up to 80–110 km/h, starting with three cars and designed to add up to six as demand grows.
Connecting with Line 1 at ST12, one transfer takes you to the city center
Line 6's real value lies in stitching the airport into other lines, existing and planned. The connections shown in published materials are as follows.
| Connections | Connecting station | The route's character |
|---|---|---|
| Line 2 (Ben Thanh-Tham Luong) | Ba Queo Station | The trunk line connecting the city center with the northwest |
| Line 4 (Dong Thanh – Hiep Phuoc) | ST03 | A planned line running north–south |
| Line 1 (Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien) | ST12 | The main eastbound line already in service |
| Thu Thiem-Long Thanh railway | Beyond ST16 | The rail link to the new Long Thanh Airport |
The connection with Line 1 matters most. Line 1, running Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien, is already in service, and once Line 6 links up at ST12, you'll be able to reach the airport from the city center with a single transfer.
A separate line from "Line 2's localization"—to avoid confusion
As for Ho Chi Minh City's metro, the domestic localization of Line 2's technology drew attention in July. For details, seeHo Chi Minh City's Metro Moves Toward Local Production: MOU on Technology Transfer Signed for Line 2, but that was about the Vietnamese side domestically producing the rolling stock and systems for the existing Line 2—a separate track from this new Line 6. The city is advancing several lines in parallel, so sorting out 'which line, and what about it' makes the big picture easier to follow.
Late-night and rainy-season airport trips, once taxi-only, are set to change
For now, getting from Tan Son Nhat to the city center means mainly taxi or Grab, and mornings and evenings get caught in congestion around the airport. Reading a trip to Ben Thanh as 30 minutes only for it to take an hour is a common experience for residents. If Line 6 links all terminals underground, it will create a punctual route less affected by weather or traffic. For trips with large luggage, during rainy-season downpours, or on late-night and early-morning flights, it adds a rail option that spares you the stress of haggling over fares. Hanoi, too, has begun breaking ground on several lines at once, and the full picture isHanoi breaks ground on five lines at once-will airport access really change?covered it. In both cities, the effort to link airport and downtown by rail has moved from the "planning" stage to "construction."
Set for completion in 2030, designed to connect with the Long Thanh link railway
Completion is set for 2030, and the current airport access will remain for the years until then. How to use it alongside the new Long Thanh Airport, due to open in December 2026, will also become a point of discussion. Long Thanh's role isGiant Long Thanh airport opens December 1: how to use it alongside SGN?we've laid it out. The fact that Line 6 also connects with the Thu Thiem–Long Thanh railway points to a future in which the two airports are tied together by rail. Underground stations directly beneath the airport will also redraw the map of nearby real estate and commerce, and are expected to ease congestion around Tan Son Nhat, which sits close to the city and has had little room to expand. Land acquisition and financing could shift the timeline back and forth, but the framework of connecting every terminal reflects how serious the city's transport plan is. Business travelers and residents who visit Ho Chi Minh City repeatedly would do well to track the progress and start picturing now which terminal to use and how to get through it—so getting around will be a lot easier once it opens.
