HANOI, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's new international aviation gateway, Long Thanh International Airport in the southern city of Dong Nai, is scheduled to begin commercial operations in December 2026, as construction enters a 180-day acceleration phase, the government portal reported Monday.
The project has completed about 77 percent of the total workload under signed contracts, according to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV).
As of June 18, disbursement had reached about 43.54 trillion Vietnamese dong (about 1.73 billion U.S. dollars), equivalent to 50 percent of the total contract value, the report said.
Long Thanh International Airport is projected to handle 100 million passengers and five million tons of cargo per year, with a planned land area of 5,000 hectares, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
Located about 40 km east of Vietnam's southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City, it is expected to ease congestion at the city's existing Tan Son Nhat International Airport and become one of Southeast Asia's major aviation hubs, the report added.
Under the proposed roadmap, Tan Son Nhat Airport will continue to handle domestic flights and short- and medium-haul international routes, while Long Thanh International Airport will gradually take on long-haul international services and develop into Vietnam's international aviation gateway. ■