Covering an area of 5,000 hectares, with a total investment of over VND 330 trillion, and a designed capacity of 100 million passengers and 5 million tonnes of cargo annually, Long Thanh International Airport is envisioned as a major international aviation hub for the region.
Launched in early 2021, the project has received close attention and strong direction from Party and Government leaders. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has personally conducted nine on-site inspections, stressing that “the schedule must not slip” and setting the target of basic completion by December 31, 2025.
After sustained efforts, on December 19, Long Thanh International Airport officially welcomed its first flight, marking the completion of Phase 1 - a critical milestone toward commercial operations scheduled for the first half of 2026.
Present on site since the earliest days of construction, VINACONEX has left a strong imprint across key components of the project, from infrastructure works and the passenger terminal to taxiways, aprons, and essential aviation technical systems.
Looking back on more than 1,800 days on the mega construction site, VINACONEX has played an active and meaningful role in transforming Long Thanh’s red soil into a modern international mega airport, a landmark project of the century and a new symbol of Vietnam’s aviation ambitions.
In 2020, Dong Nai Province officially handed over land to relevant units, marking the start of construction for Long Thanh International Airport. (Photo: Dong Nai Newspaper)
Alongside land handover for construction, site clearance activities were carried out in parallel, with rubber plantation areas prioritized for early clearance. (Photo: Dong Nai Newspaper)
Workers conducted surveying and boundary marking to prepare the site for construction.
By late 2020, most of the land clearance had been completed and handed over for airport construction. Present from the earliest stage, VINACONEX, together with joint venture partners, undertook Package No. 3.4, covering earthworks, site leveling, drainage construction, and detailed design surveys.
Thousands of workers and machines were mobilized for site preparation. VINACONEX quickly asserted a key contractor role by completing the package 11.5 months ahead of schedule.
In August 2023, construction of the passenger terminal under Component Project No.3 - Airport Essential Facilities (LTIA phase 1) was officially launched.
VINACONEX and the VIETUR Joint venture were honored to undertake the passenger terminal - the largest and most complex component of the entire project.
Concrete pouring works for the 2F slab of the passenger terminal.
Installation of reinforcement for the 2F slab in the wing area; scaffolding and formwork erection for the 3F slab in the central zone.
For the highly complex large-scale steel truss systems, VINACONEX carefully engineered construction methods down to each bolt and lifting point, ensuring absolute precision during hoisting and installation while deploying modern equipment throughout the process.
On July 31, 2024, VINACONEX proudly became the first contractor to top out the terminal roof, completing steel reinforcement works with assured quality and safety. At the passenger terminal package, VINACONEX demonstrated a pioneering and leading role across multiple key items.
At the heart of Long Thanh Airport, VINACONEX was responsible for installing the entire steel roof structure of the East Wing and part of the central terminal area.
On December 1, 2024, VINACONEX took the lead in completing the roof topping-out of Pier 3 at the center of the terminal complex.
On December 26, 2024, VINACONEX became the first contractor to install the Pier 3 metal roof, covering more than 13,000 sqm of the wing area.
By December 30, 2024, Long Thanh Airport had completed 100% of reinforced concrete and steel structures in both the central zone and the East Wing.
On May 16, 2025, images showed the airport progressing with the installation of deck sheets, waterproofing layers, aluminum roofing, and skylight systems.
For the lotus-shaped roof structure, one of the most technically demanding components of the entire project, VINACONEX established dedicated teams and maintained strict oversight from detailed shop drawings to fabrication at factories in Binh Duong and Dong Nai.
By June 20, 2025, the East Wing and part of the central terminal roof had largely taken shape and entered the finishing phase.
VINACONEX was also the first contractor to install the steel structure of the A1 passenger boarding bridge.
By July 9, 2025 VINACONEX completed 6 out of 11 passenger boarding bridges.
July 9, 2025: panoramic view of the Long Thanh passenger terminal roof.
July 19, 2025: The East Wing of the terminal, constructed by VINACONEX, was nearing completion of its roof structure.
Late October 2025, all 11 PBB were fully completed on schedule, facilitating the installation of glass facades, roofing panels, and waterproofing works.
Late October 2025, the overall form of Long Thanh Airport had become clearly visible.
November 2025, the passenger terminal - the heart of the project with reinforced concrete and steel structures in the central zone and East Wing, was 100% completed.
Inside, the “mega-complex” featuring over 60,000 sqm of metal ceilings, 40,000 sqm of stone cladding, and tens of thousands of sqm of wall finishes was being completed in a synchronized manner.
Late November 2025, the first passenger terminal of Long Thanh International Airport was nearly complete in its entirety.
In addition to constructing the “heart” of LTIA, VINACONEX also undertook key packages for the project’s runways and aircraft aprons, critical infrastructure components of the airport.
The 1st taxi ways in the ealiest day
April 26 night: The runway lighting system was illuminated for the first time, ready for calibration flights ahead of April 30.
September 2025, Runway No. 1 was basically completed and fully shaped, ready for the first calibration flight.
September 26, LTIA welcomed the Beech King Air 350ER, marking the first calibration flight in a series lasting approximately one month.
VINACONEX and joint venture members continued accelerating construction of Runway No. 2.
At the aircraft apron serving the passenger terminal, spanning the entire airside area with over 20,000 work items carried out simultaneously, VINACONEX maintained a “three shifts, four crews” schedule, working around the clock to ensure zero delay.
December 15, 2025, after five years of construction, Long Thanh Airport welcomed its first technical flight, marking an initial step toward commercial operations scheduled for December 19, 2025.
December 19, 2025, LTIA received its first commercial flight, a Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 (flight VN1) carrying Standing Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh and senior Party and State leaders.
After nearly five years of construction, Phase 1 of LTIA was completed and achieved ICAO Code 4F, the highest international aviation standard.
This milestone stands as a testament to an unprecedented “construction miracle” in both scale and speed. LTIA opens a new development space for the Southern key economic region, gradually realizing Vietnam’s ambition to become a major aviation hub for the region and the world.
