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Airports Corporation of Vietnam said on 4 October 2026 that Long Thanh International Airport is planned to handle up to 366 flights a week in its first operating phase, mostly domestic and short-haul international services. Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet have registered for 6 to 10 percent of the airport’s designed capacity, equal to about 20 to 30 flights a day. The first phase, from December 2026 to March 2027, will open the western wing and central section of the passenger terminal in Dong Nai City, about 40 kilometers northeast of Ho Chi Minh City.
Travelers who still treat Tan Son Nhat as the only Ho Chi Minh City airport now have a dated split to watch. Bookings for late December and the 2027 winter schedule may land at Long Thanh instead of the city airport, which changes ground time to where you stay in Ho Chi Minh City. ACV’s acting general director, Nguyen Duc Hung, told a government meeting the same day that 12 of 16 main construction packages are on track for commercial service from 24 December 2026.
- First-phase traffic: Up to 366 flights a week, including 322 domestic and 44 international services.
- Airlines in phase one: Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet, about 20 to 30 flights a day.
- ACV commercial target: 24 December 2026, with trial operations in October and November.
- Cargo: Domestic cargo from 24 December 2026; international cargo except Europe and the United States from January 2027.
- Later phases: About 50 percent of designed capacity from April 2027, full network from October 2027.
ACV Sets 366 Weekly Flights for Phase One
DTiNews reported ACV’s three-phase plan after the operator published it on 4 October. Weekly traffic of 366 flights is a ceiling for the opening months, not a promise that every slot will be filled on day one. The 322 domestic and 44 international split tells travelers that most early Long Thanh flights will be inside Vietnam or on short regional hops, not long-haul arrivals from Europe or North America.
Designed capacity for phase one is 25 million passengers a year. Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet using 6 to 10 percent of that capacity is a slow start by design. ACV said it is still completing legal and operational procedures, with key licences and approvals expected in October and November. Priority areas of the terminal were already due for trial operations in early October.
December 24 Is ACV’s Commercial Target
The same 4 October government meeting, covered independently by Bao Moi from the construction briefing, put a calendar date on commercial service. Hung said 12 of 16 main packages basically meet the conditions for commercial operations from 24 December 2026, and that ACV will send a formal report to the government and to airlines so they can write operating scenarios. Four packages remain on the critical path: the passenger terminal, airside roads and utilities, cargo terminal one, and the car park.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc chaired the session with the Ministry of Construction, Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City, and the contractors. Trial operations are scheduled through October and November. That sequence matters: a December commercial date still depends on those trials, the remaining licences, and the four lagging packages. Do not treat 24 December as a sold ticket until the airline you booked names Long Thanh as the arrival airport.
Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Fill the First Seats
ACV has not published a full December timetable. It has said the two largest Vietnamese carriers are the ones registered for the first 20 to 30 daily flights. Earlier airline filings, which ACV collected in mid-2026, had Vietjet basing aircraft at Long Thanh for domestic flying and Vietnam Airlines proposing to move some international routes from Tan Son Nhat. Those older route lists are proposals, not the 4 October 366-flight schedule. Use them only as a signal of which brands to watch when tickets appear.
Domestic cargo is due to start from the first cargo terminal on 24 December 2026, the same commercial target as passenger service. International cargo, except shipments to Europe and the United States, is due from January 2027. Full cargo certification for the European Union and the United States is part of the second phase. Travelers sending bags as cargo, or booking freight-dependent moves, should not assume a US or EU cargo lane exists at opening.
For a wider Vietnam itinerary after you clear the new airport, the Vietnam trip ideas page is the next planning step. The airport itself does not change those destinations. It changes which terminal you should type into a booking engine for late 2026 Ho Chi Minh City arrivals.
Tan Son Nhat Keeps Short Haul While Long Thanh Scales
Phase two, from April to October 2027, is when ACV expects Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet to add international services to Europe, Australia, South Asia, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Americas, plus more domestic routes. Passenger traffic is expected to reach about 50 percent of designed capacity then. From October 2027 the airport is scheduled to run at full designed capacity with a complete domestic and international network, including cargo to Europe and the United States.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam earlier backed a three-step transfer from Tan Son Nhat that follows IATA seasons: encourage international flying at Long Thanh from 1 December 2026 to 27 March 2027, move all long-haul international flights in the summer 2027 season, then move remaining international flights in winter 2027 except Vietnamese carriers’ routes under 1,000 kilometers. ACV’s 4 October numbers sit inside that framework. They do not cancel Tan Son Nhat. They describe a second Ho Chi Minh City airport that starts small and takes long-haul flying later.
Deep Arrival’s earlier construction report, Vietnam’s army deployment to finish Long Thanh, covered the build. The new fact is the published first-phase flight count and ACV’s 24 December commercial target. That is the booking change.
Booking Windows for Ho Chi Minh City Arrivals
If you already hold a ticket into SGN for December, check the airport code when the airline issues or changes the ticket. Long Thanh will use a different airport identity from Tan Son Nhat once commercial flights start. Ground transport from Dong Nai into central Ho Chi Minh City is longer than a Tan Son Nhat taxi, so hotel location and transfer time should be priced before you accept an involuntary airport change.
If you have not booked yet and you are flying after 24 December, search both airports and both Vietnamese carriers. Phase-one capacity is only 20 to 30 flights a day. Most city arrivals will still use Tan Son Nhat until the 2027 transfer steps. Treat Long Thanh as an extra option, not a replacement, until your airline names it on the ticket.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Hold a December SGN ticket | Recheck the airport code after 24 December; do not assume Tan Son Nhat. |
| Book January to March 2027 | Watch Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet for Long Thanh domestic and short-haul seats. |
| Need long-haul into Ho Chi Minh City | Plan on Tan Son Nhat until ACV’s April 2027 expansion, then recheck. |
| Ship cargo to the US or Europe | Do not count on Long Thanh until the later 2027 certification phase. |
October and November 2026 are the trial window. Licences and remaining terminal packages still have to clear before tickets are real.
24 December 2026 is ACV’s commercial target. Confirm the airport on the ticket before you schedule a Dong Nai transfer.
April 2027 is the long-haul watch date. That is when ACV expects wider international flying and about half of designed passenger capacity.
When does Long Thanh Airport open to passengers?
ACV’s 4 October plan puts passenger service in December 2026, with a commercial target of 24 December 2026 after October and November trials. Airlines still have to publish the actual flights.
How many flights will Long Thanh have at opening?
ACV said up to 366 flights a week in phase one, including 322 domestic and 44 international services, with Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet flying about 20 to 30 times a day.
Will my Ho Chi Minh City flight move from Tan Son Nhat?
Not automatically. Tan Son Nhat stays open. Long Thanh starts with a small share of flights. Check the airport code on your ticket, especially from April 2027 when more long-haul flying is due to shift.
Which airlines fly Long Thanh first?
Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet are the carriers ACV named for the first 20 to 30 daily flights. Other airlines are in talks, but they are not in the opening count.
Is Long Thanh closer to downtown Ho Chi Minh City?
No. It is in Dong Nai City, about 40 kilometers northeast of the center, so transfer time is longer than from Tan Son Nhat. Match your hotel area to the airport on the ticket.
Can I send cargo through Long Thanh in December?
Domestic cargo is planned from 24 December 2026. International cargo except Europe and the United States is planned from January 2027. US and EU cargo comes later in 2027.
