At the airport on Phu Quoc, an island in southern Vietnam, calibration flights for a new runway were completed on July 27, 2026. The 3,300-meter-long, 45-meter-wide runway can handle scheduled operations of large aircraft such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350. There are still no direct flights from Japan to Phu Quoc, but by clearing one precondition for direct service, it has raised the possibility that, over several years, the way Japanese travelers—who have relied on connections—get there could change.
A new runway 3,300 m long and 45 m wide makes scheduled B787 and A350 operations possible
The final step before operations is a process called a calibration flight. A dedicated aircraft is actually flown to measure whether the signals and instruments that guide landings are performing as designed. The plane used was a Czech-registered Beechcraft B300 King Air 350ER, which completed its measurements in bad, rainy weather.
The runway is built to ICAO Code E, able to handle wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 787, Airbus A350, and Boeing 777 as a matter of routine. Accommodating even larger Code F aircraft is also in view if needed. It has also been announced that the path to 24-hour operations is opening, creating room for more late-night and early-morning slots. Construction had begun in late 2025, about eight months before the calibration flight.
Phu Quoc still requires a connection from Japan; the physical conditions for direct flights are now in place
Phu Quoc is an island known for its beaches and resorts, but at present there are no direct flights from Japan. Travelers either connect to a domestic flight in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, or reach the island via Bangkok or Singapore. The travel time and number of connections have been the sticking point, making it easy to drop from the shortlist for family trips and honeymoons.
A runway that can't handle large aircraft simply can't fly long-haul direct flights from Japan. That a 3,300-meter-class runway has now reached the calibration-flight stage means the physical obstacle to considering a direct flight has been removed. It's not that a launch is decided, but the groundwork is in place for those drawing routes to weigh it on paper.
Main ways to reach Phu Quoc from Japan (as of July 2026)
| Route | Transfer point | Domestic routes and segments at a glance | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Via Ho Chi Minh City | Tan Son Nhat Airport | Domestic flight: about 1 hour 5 minutes | Frequent and shortest. Easy to connect |
| Via Hanoi | Noi Bai Airport | Domestic flight, about 2 hours 10 minutes | Easy to combine with itineraries to and from the north |
| Via Bangkok | Bangkok | Direct: about 1 hour 20 minutes (service begins August 8) | A new full-service route |
| Via Singapore | Singapore | Direct, one flight daily (in-flight meal included) | Pairs well with a Southeast Asia tour |
Sun PhuQuoc Airways' order for 40 Boeing 787s makes long-haul direct flights realistic
The runway matters to travelers once a launch plan rides on it. Sun PhuQuoc Airways, the island-based startup, has signed a contract to introduce up to 40 Boeing 787-9s and has floated a vision of linking Phu Quoc directly with major cities in Europe, North America and Asia. Opening a Japan route is among the options under consideration.
Though a mid-size aircraft, the 787 has long range and suits sectors like Japan–Phu Quoc, where "there's demand, but not enough to fill a super-jumbo." A direct flight only works when both a runway that can handle large aircraft and a plane that can fly long distances are in place. Completing this calibration flight is a sign that one of the two is ready. Still, the aircraft has yet to arrive and the route has yet to launch, with no timing announced. Don't get your hopes up too far, but things are clearly moving toward more options for itineraries that once assumed a connection.
Work to boost the island's capacity ahead of APEC 2027
This runway work is also part of an infrastructure push ahead of the APEC leaders' summit to be held in Phu Quoc in 2027. APEC brings together 21 economies, with heads of state, delegations and press gathering on the island. An airport that can receive private jets and handle late-night and early-morning arrivals and departures is needed, and the work is positioned as lifting the airport to that level.
Upgrades made for international conferences tend to benefit ordinary travelers afterward. The added takeoff-and-landing capacity and the surrounding roads and hotels built for the conference become, as they are, a base for receiving tourists. If you're putting Phu Quoc on your itinerary, it's easier to move if you plan on the assumption that access and accommodation will improve in stages toward around 2027.
To reach Phu Quoc now, a 65-minute connection in Ho Chi Minh City is the shortest realistic answer
Rather than wait for a direct flight, if you're moving now it's worth pinning down a connecting route. The shortest is to change to a domestic flight at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat Airport—a sector of about 1 hour 5 minutes. Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet run many flights a week, easy to pair with an international flight from Japan. For a northern itinerary you can connect in Hanoi, and for a Southeast Asia loop you can slot in the new direct routes from Bangkok or Singapore.
When booking, check with each airline whether you have to clear immigration or re-collect checked bags at the transfer airport, so you aren't caught out on the day. Phu Quoc has periods with generous visa-exemption arrangements, so confirm the latest entry conditions before you travel.
Related reading
- Phu Quoc's New Airline Heads Toward a 26-Aircraft Fleet. How Will Japanese Travel to Vietnam Change?
- One direct flight a day from Singapore to Phu Quoc, with in-flight meals
- Full service joins a sky once served only by LCCs; Bangkok–Phu Quoc launches August 8
