Phu Quoc island's air gateway is being reborn into a future-type hub. Sun Group has partnered with aviation IT firm SITA to renovatePhu Quoc International Airport into a fully self-service airport based on biometric authentication.The new Terminal 2 is planned toopen in July 2027,in time for theAPEC 2027hosted by Vietnam. It connects procedures via facial recognition, smoothing immigration and boarding.
The new Terminal 2's annual handling capacity is 24 million people at opening, designed to be expandable to a scale of 50 million in the future.
Phu Quoc airport, a future-type hub for APEC 2027
Sun Group and SITA announced a partnership to renovate Phu Quoc International Airport into a next-generation fully self-service airport. The new Terminal 2 is scheduled to open in July 2027, ahead of APEC 2027. It centers on SITA's "Smart Path," which connects each point — check-in, baggage drop, and boarding — via biometric authentication. Construction started in March 2026.
Speeding up procedures with biometrics
What's being introduced is a system that, starting from biometric data acquired at the first registration, links each touchpoint via facial recognition. Supporting check-in, seat selection, boarding pass issuance, and baggage tagging are150 Smart Path kiosks,100 Scan and Go units for automated baggage drop,,、and 38 automated boarding gates (dual-lane),which will be installed. Since you can proceed with procedures yourself without staff, shorter wait times for immigration and boarding can be expected.
Main specifications of the new Terminal 2
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Opening planned | July 2027 (before APEC 2027) |
| Annual handling capacity | 24 million at opening / 50 million in the future |
| Smart Path kiosks | 150 units |
| Automated baggage drop (Scan and Go) | 100 units |
| Automated boarding gates | 38 units (dual-lane) |
| Construction start | March 2026 |
| Partners | Sun Group, SITA (Changi-affiliated firms also participate in operations) |
What changes for travelers
Once biometric-based full self-service is realized, procedures on arrival and departure at Phu Quoc will become far smoother. Wait times for the often-crowded immigration and boarding will shrink, letting you secure more resort time on the island. This operating model is also positioned as a template for the Phan Thiet, Con Dao, and Rach Gia airports that Sun Group plans, with the potential to ripple across Vietnam's air travel as a whole.
Summary
Phu Quoc airport's major renovation toward APEC 2027 is a plan to turn the island's gateway into a biometric future-type hub. The new Terminal 2 is scheduled to open in July 2027, designed to handle 24 million people a year (50 million in the future). Smart Path kiosks and automated boarding gates speed up procedures. It's a move worth watching as one that lifts the convenience of resort travel a notch.
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