Long Thanh international airport to create growth momentum

While Singapore boasts the famous Changi International Airport, Thailand derives huge profits from its Suvarnabhumi airport, and Malaysia from its international Kuala Lumpur airport, Vietnam is now a mere point of call for major European and North American airlines due to lack of a modern international airport.

The Vietnamese government has therefore decided to build a new state-of-the-art airport. 40 kilometers east of Ho Chi Minh City, the airport is expected to help ease the overloading of Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

Nguyen Nguyen Hung, Chairman of the Board of Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), said "The rapidly growing Ho Chi Minh City is expected to welcome some 40 million passengers in 2025 and probably 50 million in 2030.

The Long Thanh airport project addresses the problem of traffic overload and is part of a national strategy to industrialize and modernize the transportation sector.”

Like all modern airports, Long Thanh will have to meet the standards of the ICAO - the International Civil Aviation Organization. It has been designed to accommodate 100 million passengers and 5 million tons of air cargo per year. It is expected to become a regional transit hub and create momentum for national economic growth.

Lai Xuan Thanh, President and CEO of the Vietnam Airlines Corporation, said, "This will be a key national airport. Long Thanh international airport will be equipped with advanced technology to compete with other international airports in the region and the wider world.”

Centrally located in the heart of Southeast Asia, Long Thanh will be a regional airport connecting to Europe, the Middle East, Northeast Asia, North America and Oceania.

Mr. Hung said, "This project should bring huge profits to the national economy. It fits perfectly into the industrialization and modernization of Dong Nai province and the key southern economic region. About 200,000 jobs will be created.”

Located 40 km from Ho Chi Minh City, the economic heart of Vietnam, 30 km from the industrial city of Bien Hoa, and 70km from the seaside resort of Vung Tau, Long Thanh airport will be an extraordinary economic catalyst for the region.