{"id":3815,"date":"2026-07-20T23:34:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T14:34:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/?post_type=news&p=3815"},"modified":"2026-07-20T23:34:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T14:34:58","slug":"long-thanh-airport","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/long-thanh-airport\/","title":{"rendered":"Giant Long Thanh airport opens December 1: how to use it alongside SGN?"},"content":{"rendered":"

From December 1, 2026, southern Vietnam will have two gateways. Long Thanh International Airport, under construction about 40 km east of Ho Chi Minh City, begins commercial operations that day, and international flights will move over in stages from Tan Son Nhat International Airport (airport code SGN), which has handled them alone until now. The transfer proceeds in three phases through spring 2028, so anyone traveling to Vietnam during this period will need to check which airport their flight uses every time they book. Here we use only verified figures and focus on the points where residents, business travelers, and tourists are most likely to trip up.<\/p>\n

The gist of the news that started it<\/h2>\n

The operator, Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), has drawn up a plan to shift Long Thanh Airport to commercial operations on December 1, 2026, and to divide arrivals and departures with Tan Son Nhat by route distance and region, asking the Ministry of Construction and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) for early approval of the operating plan and passenger fares. In the first phase, Long Thanh takes on long-haul international flights, cargo flights, and new routes, with a goal of moving more than 90% of the region's international passengers to Long Thanh during 2027. Phase by phase, routes to Europe and the Americas, Oceania, the Middle East, and elsewhere shift over in turn, until Tan Son Nhat is left mainly with short-haul flights.<\/p>\n

Why build a new airport, and the challenge to Changi<\/h2>\n

Behind this is the chronic congestion at Tan Son Nhat. Hemmed in by the city with little room to expand, its runways and terminals have failed to keep pace with rising passenger numbers. Long Thanh is designed to handle 25 million passengers a year in its first phase and 100 million a year under the full plan, giving it ample capacity to take on long-haul international flights. The total project cost runs to 336.63 trillion dong (about 12.8 billion dollars, at roughly 26,300 dong to the dollar). Vietnam is aiming for a spot among regional hubs alongside Singapore\u2019s Changi Airport (which handled about 69.98 million people in 2025), Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur. The national aim is not merely to relieve congestion but to gain another base that draws in transit passengers.<\/p>\n

The phased-transfer schedule in data<\/h2>\n

The split of arrivals and departures is planned in the three phases below. The dates and scope list only verified figures based on published materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
stage<\/th>\nPeriod<\/th>\nFlights handled by Long Thanh<\/th>\nFlights remaining at Tan Son Nhat (SGN)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Phase 1<\/td>\n2026\/12\/1\u301c2027\/3\/27<\/td>\nFlights from airlines that move voluntarily, new international routes, charter flights, and all cargo flights<\/td>\nExisting international routes (no new routes added) and domestic routes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Phase 2<\/td>\n2027\/3\/28\u301c2027\/10\/30<\/td>\nAll flights to and from Europe, North and South America, Oceania, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Central Asia<\/td>\nExisting East Asia and Southeast Asia routes, and domestic flights<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stage 3<\/td>\n2027\/10\/31\u301c2028\/3\/25<\/td>\nNearly all international routes<\/td>\nShort-haul flights under 1,000 km operated by Vietnamese carriers, and domestic flights<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

A rough split of routes has also been laid out. International routes over 1,000km and cargo go to Long Thanh; Southeast Asian routes split roughly 55% to Long Thanh and 45% to Tan Son Nhat; and for the Red River Delta it is 12% to 88%, and for the south-central region 7% to 93%\u2014the shorter the distance, the more it stays with Tan Son Nhat.<\/p>\n

Reactions from officials and experts<\/h2>\n

The operator, ACV, is strongly urging the government to move up the connecting infrastructure in time for the opening. Specifically, it points to widening the Ho Chi Minh City\u2013Long Thanh expressway, completing the Bien Hoa\u2013Vung Tau expressway, and building out Ring Road 3, reflecting an on-the-ground fear that even if the airport itself opens, narrow roads won't be able to handle the passengers.<\/p>\n

The Ministry of Construction and the CAAV, on the approving side, have been handed the homework of approving flight plans and passenger fares early. Unless the premise of a fixed phased-transfer schedule is in place, airlines can't finalize their flight schedules, and updates to booking systems will lag too.<\/p>\n

For the airlines, the notable point is that the first phase offers a gentle entry, \u201cstarting with flights that move voluntarily.\u201d Rather than shifting all flights at once, moving new routes and long-haul flights first reflects an intent to hold down disruption to ground operations and connections. The flip side is that even on the same route, the departure and arrival airport can change depending on the timing.<\/p>\n

What travelers and residents should check when booking<\/h2>\n

The most practical thing to watch is how the airport codes are handled. Tan Son Nhat stays SGN as before, but Long Thanh's international code has not been officially settled as of this writing. That's exactly why, when arranging tickets or hotel transfers, you shouldn't rely on the code abbreviation alone\u2014always confirm the airport name (Tan Son Nhat or Long Thanh) in the details. In phases 1 and 2 especially, flights on the same city pair can split between airports, so your outbound and return could even use different airports.<\/p>\n

On access, Long Thanh sits about 40 km east of the city center, which feels far if you're used to how close Tan Son Nhat is. The expressway is what you rely on; no direct rail or metro link is currently shown in plans set to open in time. Anyone heading into central Ho Chi Minh City after arriving, or using Long Thanh for an early-morning flight, is safest locking in travel time that factors in traffic and arranging a ride early. Figure around an hour from the city via the expressway, and build in a buffer on the assumption that morning and evening rush hours and weekends will run longer, so you avoid missing connections or meetings.<\/p>\n

It's worth making post-booking checks a habit as well. The departure and arrival airport names shown in airline apps and e-tickets can be updated partway through the transition, depending on how flight-plan approvals stand. The day before departure, reconfirm not just the flight number but the airport names, and clearly tell anyone meeting family or business partners at the airport \"which airport\" to go to \u2014 that prevents mix-ups. Cases where a connection requires moving from one airport to the other can also arise during the transition, so it's safest to leave more connection time than usual.<\/p>\n

Roughly speaking, the order of \u201cwhat moves when\u201d is: long-haul international, cargo, and new routes first (from December 2026), then major long-distance routes to Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East (from spring 2027), and finally nearly all international flights except short-haul ones (autumn 2027 to spring 2028). It helps at booking time to remember that short-haul Southeast Asia flights and domestic flights are likely to stay at Tan Son Nhat for the time being. Those factoring in travel from the north,a new route from Hai Phong<\/a>Watching moves at regional airports like this too widens your options.<\/p>\n

The Ripple Effect on the Industry and Tan Son Nhat's Role<\/h2>\n

Even if Long Thanh absorbs long-haul international flights, Tan Son Nhat's role won't disappear. It's expected to remain a downtown-adjacent airport handling the \"high-turnover\" flights \u2014 short-haul Southeast Asia routes and domestic services \u2014 with a division of use that leverages its easy access to the city center. In fact, on the Tan Son Nhat side too,Plans to rebuild Terminal 1<\/a>is in motion, and efforts to streamline domestic-route flows are proceeding in parallel. How to connect the two airports is another challenge, andA metro concept linking Long Thanh to Vung Tau<\/a>such improvements to the surrounding transport will determine how convenient it is to use each airport for the right purpose. The essence of this transfer is that the south's gateway is being reorganized not into \"one giant airport\" but into \"two airports with different roles.\"<\/p>\n

Summary<\/h2>\n

Long Thanh Airport opens on December 1, 2026, and will take over international flights from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) in three stages through spring 2028. Three points matter for travelers and residents. First, check flights by the airport name of the departure and arrival point, not the airport code. Second, Long Thanh is about 40 km from the city center and depends on the expressway, so allow plenty of travel time. Third, short-haul and domestic flights are likely to stay at Tan Son Nhat for the time being. Precisely because it's a transition period where departures and arrivals shift by stage, making a habit of checking the airport name every time you book is the surest way to avoid missed flights and pickup mix-ups.<\/p>\n

Sources<\/h2>\n