Traffic connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Long Thanh is currently overloaded
Long Thanh airport (Long Thanh commune, Dong Nai province) according to the basic schedule will be completed on December 19, 2025, inaugurated according to regulations, and put into commercial operation in early 2026.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thien Tong - former Head of the Faculty of Aviation Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Science and Technology - said: In the context that Tan Son Nhat airport still has enough capacity to serve and is not yet overloaded except for some peak holidays and Tet, it is unnecessary to transfer all international flights to Long Thanh airport as soon as this airport is put into operation from 2026.
According to Mr. Tong, with the operation of terminal T3, the capacity of Tan Son Nhat airport has now been increased to 50 million passengers per year. Mr. Tong said that the core issue for an airport to operate effectively lies in connecting traffic. However, the main routes connecting Ho Chi Minh City (where there is the largest demand for travel) with Long Thanh are currently overloaded, while many key projects such as the expansion of Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway, Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway, Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway or Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3 have not yet been able to ensure progress and smooth operation in the near future.
From there, Mr. Tong emphasized that if all international flights are postponed to Long Thanh, passengers will suffer the most. Instead of just taking 15-20 minutes to travel an 8-10 km distance to Tan Son Nhat airport, they will have to travel more than 40 km to Long Thanh, causing additional costs and the risk of flight delays if there is traffic congestion. In addition to the disadvantage for passengers, the transfer of all international operations also causes great disruption for airlines due to having to relocate the operating system.
Therefore, according to Mr. Tong, in the first phase, Long Thanh airport should only prioritize the exploitation of goods, development of logistics services and play a supporting role for Tan Son Nhat. Only when the connecting traffic infrastructure is completed should we consider gradually transferring international flights from Tan Son Nhat to Long Thanh airport.
Tan Son Nhat Airport will favor high-quality aviation
Dr. Ngo Viet Nam Son believes that we should not " spread the role" between Long Thanh and Tan Son Nhat, but that the two airports operate the same, both have international flights, short- and long-distance routes, domestic operations.
However, Tan Son Nhat airport with the advantage of being near the center will tend to be high-quality air with the best flights, higher tickets and for those who buy high-quality services to save travel time between the airport and the inner city of Ho Chi Minh City.
Dr. Ngo Viet Nam Son said that Long Thanh airport needs to be exploited according to a 3-step roadmap.
In the first phase, when the regional infrastructure and metro lines are not yet complete, the airport should only share some of the pressure with Tan Son Nhat, while focusing on developing freight transport.
In phase two, after completing the airport transportation and urban system, it is possible to transfer more international routes.
In the final step, Long Thanh airport will become a leading airport in Southeast Asia, integrated with an airport urban area, free trade zone and expressway network, metro - similar to the model of Singapore or Amsterdam.
"We should not give Long Thanh too much responsibility from the beginning. It is necessary to make adjustments to both make it convenient for passengers and economically efficient" - Mr. Son emphasized.
