A wide-body Boeing 787-9 coded VN5001, is scheduled to depart from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City at 3:00 p.m. and land at Long Thanh International Airport at 3:40 p.m. on the same day.

The return flight, VN5002, will depart from Long Thanh at 6:00 p.m. and arrive back at Tan Son Nhat 40 minutes later.

The technical flight is intended to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of flight operations at the airport, including navigation, communication and surveillance systems, aircraft handling and coordination procedures, runway and apron lighting systems, as well as coordination among air traffic management units at Long Thanh.

The test flight is considered a critical step to ensure that the airport meets all safety and security standards before officially commencing operations.

Previously, Air Traffic Technical Company (ATTECH) completed calibration flights at Long Thanh Airport on October 30, concluding that the air navigation equipment has met or exceeded international standards.

However, during the calibration process, aircraft did not perform take-off or landing operations on Long Thanh’s runway. As a result, the December 15 flight will mark the first-ever landing and take-off at the airport.

On December 19, in addition to the inaugural flight operated by Vietnam Airlines, two other flights operated by Vietjet Air and Bamboo Airways are also scheduled to land at Long Thanh International Airport, arriving about five minutes apart, according to authorities.

Under the scenario outlined by the Ministry of Construction, the official flights will only be carried out if the technical test flight conducted on December 15 meets all required technical and operational safety parameters.

Phase one of Long Thanh International Airport, covering an area of 1,810 hectares, broke ground in January 2021 and has a designed capacity of 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo per year. The airport is expected to begin commercial operations in mid-2026.

Long Thanh International Airport taking shape in Southern Vietnam

VOV.VN - Phase 1 of Long Thanh International Airport, the newest and largest in Vietnam, is expected to be substantially completed, meeting all operational standards for technical flights before December 19, paving the way for commercial operation in the first half of 2026.