On the morning of January 5, 2020, the Ministry of Transport, the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises and the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee solemnly held the groundbreaking ceremony for Long Thanh international airport Phase 1, Sub- project 3 in Long Thanh district, Dong Nai province. The project is invested and constructed by the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV).

This is a crucial achievement to welcome the 13th National Party Congress. At the ceremony, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc kicked off construction of the project.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivered a speech at the ceremony

The delegates attending the ceremony consisted of members of the Party Central Committee, namely Mr. Nguyen Van The- Minister of Transport; Mr. Nguyen Chi Dung - Minister of Planning and Investment; Mr. Nguyen Hoang Anh - chairman of the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises; Senior Lieutenant General Le Huy Vinh - Deputy Minister of National Defense; Mr. Tran Van Son - Deputy Chairman of the Government Office; Mr. Nguyen Phu Cuong - Secretary of Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee together with leaders of ministries and local authorities.

On behalf of ACV, Chairman Lai Xuan Thanh, President Vu The Phiet as well as ACV’s leaders and former leaders also attended the ceremony.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, leaders of ministries and delegates kicked off the construction of Long Thanh international airport Phase 1 – Sub-project 3

The Long Thanh international airport is a national significant project that has important implications for the country's socio-economic development, national defense and security.

The project investment policy was ratified by the National Assembly in Resolution No. 94/2015/QH13 dated June 25, 2015 in addition to phase 1 feasibility study report approved in Resolution No. 95/2019/QH14 dated November 26, 2019.

Chairman Lai Xuan Thanh reported the project implementation process

The Long Thanh international airport is expected to reach level 4F assigned by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and become a crucial international airport of the country as well as one of the international aviation transit hubs in the region.

According to the approved planning, the airport is located in six communes in Long Thanh district, Dong Nai province, covering a total area of ​​5,000 hectares. In particular, the site for airport infrastructure construction accounts for 2,750 hectares; 1,050 hectares used for national defense together with civil aviation infrastructure construction; and 1,200 hectares for auxiliary items, aviation industry and other commercial works.

The total estimated investment for the entire project divided into three phases is 336,630 billion VND, equivalent to 16.03 billion USD. Once three phases have completed, the Long Thanh international airport will have four runways, four passenger terminals with synchronous auxiliary items to handle a capacity of 100 million passengers and 5 million tons of cargo annually.

The Prime Minister issued Decision No. 1777 / QD-TTg dated November 11, 2020 approving Phase 1 of Long Thanh international airport.  Accordingly, Phase 1 is divided into four sub-projects, including:

- Sub-project 1: Headquarters of state management agencies;

- Sub-project 2: Works in-flight management services;

- Sub-project 3: Essential airport facilities;

- Sub-project 4: Other items.

Furthermore, he also assigned ACV to be the owner of the Sub-project 3 consisting of general infrastructure (bomb and mine clearance, site preparation for construction, fences, line 1 and line 2 traffic connections and intersections; roads and parking area, bridges, tunnels, electricity, water and lighting systems, telecommunications, etc.), airfield facilities (runways, taxiways, aerodrome beacons, ILS/DME systems, etc.), aircraft parking area, aircraft fuel systems; passenger terminals; No. 1 cargo terminal, garages, airport management office and other auxiliary works.

The plan and scale of Phase 1:

- Constructing one runway with a length of 4,000 meters, a width of 75 meters and a taxiway and apron system to ensure aircraft operations with a capacity of 25 million passengers and 1,2 million tons of cargo per year.

- Constructing one passenger terminal with a designed capacity of 25 million passengers per year and a total floor area of ​​373,000 square meters.

- Constructing one 123-meter-high air traffic control tower and related items.

- Constructing auxiliary works and cargo terminals with a total capacity of 1.2 million tons of cargo per year.

- Constructing headquarters of state management authorities, relevant stakeholders in airports such as Customs, Border police, Local police, Medical quarantine, Airport authorities; Air traffic management units; Airlines and Aviation service providers.

- Regarding Phase 1 traffic connections, the Long Thanh international airport connects to the Highway 51 with six lanes in addition to the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway with four lanes and intersections.

- The estimated CAPEX for Phase 1 is 109,111.742 billion VND. The project would be expected to complete and put into operation in 2025.

At the ceremony, Chairman Lai Xuan Thanh committed that ACV would focus all its resources, drastically implement the project in accordance with the laws; ensure absolute security and safety as well as construction quality and project progress; not exceeding the total approved investment. The Phase 1 Long Thanh international airport would be expected to complete and put into operation in 2025, contributing to ensure socio-economic development, national defense and security as well as improve the position of Vietnam's airports in region and the world.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, the PM assured that the Long Thanh international airport is one of the Top 16 remarkable airports in the world. This is a particularly national crucial project, expressing the country's aspiration and significant contribution for socio-economic development, national defense and security with the greatest total investment capital so far. According to an Australian international organization, the Airport, when put into operation, is estimated to contribute to GDP growth from 3 to 5 percent.

Military representatives report to the PM about mines clearance

The PM highly appreciated the endeavors of relevant Ministries, Dong Nai Provinces Administrations and the Airports Corporation of Vietnam. He expressed a compliment for the project owner’s commitment in terms of mines clearance, fence construction and site preparation for construction with a total investment of about 7,000 billion dong implemented and finished within 2021.

The airport, situated at a favorable geographical location and synchronous local transport connection, will be invested with modern equipment and advanced aviation technology, capable of handling the largest types of civil aircrafts. This is a national project of special importance, holding huge significance to promoting the country’s socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security. Once putting into operation, it will significantly facilitate domestic and international air routes, develop a strong foundation for the development of the Vietnam's Southern Key Economic Region as well as be a “bridge” to connect Vietnam’s economy with ASEAN’s, Asia’s, and wider global economy, other than that, the Long Thanh international airport is expected to relieve overloading at Tan Son Nhat international airport and meet the growing demand of the Vietnam’s aviation market.

Becoming one of the important international aviation transit hubs for the region will enhance the airport’s competitive advantage and make Vietnam an attractive destination on the international aviation maps.

Centrally located in the heart of Southeast Asia, the Long Thanh international airport will be an airport hub connecting to countries in ASEAN and Asia especially China, Korea, Japan within 3 flight hours, contributing to attract more investment, tourism and enhancing Vietnam’s economic as well as national security in the region and wider the world since 2030. 

In order to complete the Long Thanh international airport phase 1 on schedule, the PM ordered the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises to direct ACV to implement the sub-project 3 according to approved design in line with current regulations especially investment law, keep its progress on schedule and ensure its quality without causing waste and losses.

He also directed the remaining project owners of sub-project 1,2, and 4 including the Ministry of Transport, relevant competent authorities and the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporate urgently finish the investment procedures and facilitate all resources to accomplish those sub-projects on schedule in accordance with the completion of the whole phase 1 project, thus timely putting into operation in 2025.   

The Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Construction as well as administrations of Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City, and other provinces in the southeast region must soon have plans for comprehensively enhancing local transport connectivity with the future Long Thanh International Airport, even considering the development of new urban areas, service system, and the North-South high-speed railway.

It is expected to open up a new development space for the region by connecting transport, encouraging development, promoting a new economic tendency in favor of service production and increase the competitiveness of not only the southeast region but also the economy at large.

Therefore, the PM requested all the relevant ministries and associated localities to drastically research and incorporate into the regional development plan in order to synchronize and draw upon the excessive outcomes of the Long Thanh international airport, in which rising an economic development around the airport, strongly attracting domestic and international investment, changing economic structure, fully growing services especially airport services, contributing to create many career oppoturnities not only in Dong Nai city but also around the Southern region and the country, making a excessive contribution to the state budget.

The remaining of 22 airports of ACV even airports in mountainous areas should continue to be upgraded facilities, welcome more passengers, reach the travel needs of all domestic and international passengers– the Prime Minister enquired. Thus, Vietnamese airport system include the Long Thanh international airport will make a significant contribution to the mightiness of Vietnam in the upcoming time.

The Prime Minister affirmed that the Government will facilitate favorable conditions and implement the approved project policy, request all the ministries such as the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment, the National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Finance, the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises, and relevant ministries & departments, the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, the People's Committee of Dong Nai Province to well management and to create favorable conditions, promptly eliminate difficulties and complications for ACV, the Viet Nam Air Traffic Management Corporation and other investors to guarantee the safety project’s investment and construction.

The PM opined: The Long Thanh international airport project needs to be the project contained “Top quality; right on schedule; exemplary investor; no damage, waste and negative problems; and absolutely secure and safe".

The PM encouraged residents who are receiving direct impacts from the project should continue to accompany, support for the national interest and at the same time facilitate favorable conditions for the project to be accomplished smoothly and right on schedule.

Spoke at the ceremony, the People's Committee of Dong Nai Province Chairman- Mr. Cao Tien Dung said that Dong Nai province had already handed over about 2,600 hectares up to present for phase 1 of the project. The leader of Dong Nai province pledged to concentrate all resources to complete handover the remaining area in 2021; proposed to the relevant ministries to properly construct highways to reduce traffic pressure when the project is going put into operation.

Administration Department