Phu Quoc International Airport is undergoing a major expansion ahead of APEC 2027. The previous article's figure of "$47 million investment to increase capacity from 8.2 million to 11.5 million passengers" differs significantly from current government-approved and developer announcements. The approved total investment is approximately22 trillion dong(21.998 trillion dong, equivalent to roughly 800 million USD at the exchange rate at the time of announcement).
A new runway and international terminal to be built
The plan includes a second runway, a new international terminal T2, a VIP terminal, and expanded aprons and related facilities. The airport aims for ICAO 4E standard, with plans to accommodate wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350. Sun Group took over airport operations from January 1, 2026, and has partnered with Changi Airports International on the operational side.
Capacity figures vary across sources
The investment approval announcement in 2025 cited 18 million passengers per year, while operational and partnership materials from 2026 state 20–24 million passengers in the first phase. As the figures have changed with design updates and phasing, it is safer not to fix any single number as definitive. There are also long-term plans to expand capacity to 50 million passengers, but this is a future target, not a completed capacity.
Target opening: spring 2027
The developer's latest progress reports set a target of beginning operations in April 2027. Construction is ongoing, and the opening date and terminal switchover may change subject to inspections and regulatory approvals. The previous article's figures of "within 24 months," "immigration processing reduced from 18 to 6 minutes," "22 duty-free shops," and "15 additional routes" have been removed as they could not be verified against reliable primary sources. Smart passenger processing including biometric recognition is planned, but this does not guarantee that all Japanese passport holders will clear immigration in 6 minutes.
What travelers should check while construction is underway
Before departure, confirm your terminal, check-in deadline, and drop-off and pick-up points with your airline, and arrive early to allow for route changes caused by construction. Even when new airport facilities are completed, the number of direct flights from Japan or connection times will not automatically increase or decrease. Check the operating status of each individual flight.
Do not view the expansion only through the lens of convenience
While increased capacity helps ease congestion and attract new routes, it also adds pressure on the island's roads, water supply, waste management, housing, and natural environment. Whether the scale remains appropriate for the community after APEC, and whether public transport and environmental measures can keep pace, are important questions.In-hotel airport check-inis also limited in scope, so confirm the conditions separately from the airport expansion.
Only Confirmed Once You Enter Your Travel Date
For transportation and entry information, announcements, the start of ticket sales, and actual operations are separate stages. I would enter my travel date and nationality, open the official page, and check the flight number, departure and arrival points, days of suspension, baggage allowance, change and refund conditions, and required documents. Connections involving separate bookings are handled differently in the event of a delay, so I would not judge a connection as feasible based solely on times or rules mentioned in an article.
Sources
- Vietnamese government: expansion policy
- Sun Group: investment amount and development details
- Airport operator: 2026 progress update
Check the update date
Check the update date in the body of the article, not just the search result excerpt. If you are unsure whether figures or proper nouns are still current, go to the primary source from the company, organizer, or government authority. If no official page can be found, treat that fact itself as a factor in your judgment, and do not make bookings or long trips based on old articles alone.
