Calibration flights begin at Long Thanh airport ahead of 2026 opening
VOV.VN - Long Thanh International Airport, the largest of its kind in Vietnam, conducted its first calibration flight on September 26, marking a significant technical milestone in the ongoing project’s progress, which is expected to be basically completed by December 19, 2025, and operational in the first half of 2026.
At 6:09 a.m., a Beech KingAir 350ER (B350) took off from Tan Son Nhat International Airport, approached and flew along runway No. 1 at Long Thanh airport to inspect the lighting system. This flight aimed to conduct a field inspection of the runway and calibrate the navigation and air traffic control systems at the airport.
According to the plan approved by the Operations Department of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, calibration flights at Long Thanh will continue till October 24. The flights are conducted by the Air Traffic Management Engineering Company, a member unit of the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation, with participation from experienced domestic experts and international specialists from the Czech Air Navigation Institute.
The calibration flights will be carried out both day and night under various conditions to comprehensively assess the accuracy and stability of the airport’s aviation systems. Besides runway inspection, these flights will calibrate a series of navigation and air traffic monitoring devices.
At the 20th floor of the control tower, anti-collision equipment has been installed to enable communication between the aircraft and air traffic controllers. A dedicated flight management team closely monitors the flight progress.
Long Thanh International Airport is built on more than 5,000 hectares in Long Thanh commune, Dong Nai province. The project has total estimated investment of more than US$16 billion, divided into three phases. Phase 1 involves an investment of over US$5.4 billion, with a capacity to serve 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo annually. Upon full completion, the airport will have a capacity of up to 100 million passengers per year, becoming the largest airport in Vietnam and a regional air transport hub competing with major airports worldwide.
The Prime Minister has directed that Phase 1 of the project must be basically completed before December 19, 2025, and put into operation in the first half of 2026.
PM urges faster work on Long Thanh Airport for year-end launch
VOV.VN - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, during his on-site inspection of the Long Thanh International Airport project in Dong Nai province on August 2, requested relevant ministries and units to expedite construction to ensure the airport is ready to welcome its first flight on December 19, 2025.
