Long Thanh International Airport nears completion, aiming for a December launch as Vietnam positions itself as a key air transit hub in Asia.
Long Thanh International Airport has completed test flights and is targeting a December launch as Vietnam advances a nationwide airport plan to establish the country as a leading air transit and logistics center in Asia.
Vietnam is preparing to open a new generation of major international airports. These projects form part of a national airport network that stretches from the coast to the mountains. According to B?o Thanh Ni?n, reporting on October 18, 2026, the country is formally entering the race to become one of Asia's leading air transit and logistics hubs, and its flagship project is now in the final stage of construction.
On October 12 and 13, Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai completed test flights and calibrated its runway navigation systems and aviation signal lights. Long Thanh is Vietnam's largest infrastructure project.
Construction has surpassed 86% of the total volume. The project is now moving into comprehensive trial operations, which include tests of flight control systems and emergency response plans. The airport is targeting commercial operation in December 2026, a milestone expected to mark a historic turning point for Vietnam's aviation industry.
Long Thanh covers roughly 5,000 hectares and is designed as a global air transport hub. At full build-out, it will handle up to 100 million passengers and 5 million tons of cargo each year.
The scale and pace of construction have drawn strong reactions from international delegations that visited. During a recent site visit, Western Australia Premier Roger Cook praised the project's size and its record-breaking progress.
Cook described Long Thanh as an infrastructure masterpiece. He also called it a strategic link for trade and tourism flows between Australia, Vietnam, and the wider Southeast Asian region. His assessment reflects a growing view among regional partners that the airport will serve far more than domestic demand. They see it as a connector. Industry interest has grown steadily ahead of the launch. Leading aviation, logistics, and cargo corporations from the United States, Europe, Japan, and South Korea have sent high-level expert delegations to survey the site in person.
These visits serve two purposes. The delegations are assessing Vietnam's largest airport firsthand and exploring cooperation opportunities. A key focus is laying the groundwork for regional cargo transshipment operations and aircraft maintenance centers. Both functions would extend Long Thanh's role beyond passenger traffic and strengthen its position within global supply chains.
