Party General Secretary Tô Lâm hears a progress update on Long Thành International Airport project in the southern province of Đồng Nai. — VNA/VNS Photos Thống Nhất

ĐỒNG NAI — Party General Secretary Tô Lâm emphasised that Long Thành International Airport will serve not only as a major aviation hub but also as a strategic driver of national socio-economic development during his visit to the project site in Đồng Nai Province on Thursday.

Reporting on project progress at the working session with the Party chief, Minister of Construction Trần Hồng Minh noted that Long Thành Airport is designed to handle 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of cargo per year, spanning a land area of 5,000 hectares.

Construction is divided into three phases. The first includes two runways, one passenger terminal and supporting infrastructure, with a capacity of 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo annually.

Following Government direction, this phase is scheduled for substantial completion by 19 December this year, with technical tests and commercial operations expected to begin in the first half of 2026.

The Ministry of Construction and the Airports Corporation of Việt Nam (ACV) will work with relevant ministries and departments to study and prepare for the second phase, which is set to begin construction of the third runway on December 19, 2025.

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm meets with construction workers and engineers of Long Thành International Airport project.

Speaking at the working session, Party General Secretary Tô Lâm assessed that the first phase of the Long Thành International Airport project has achieved encouraging progress, demonstrating the self-reliance and financial capacity of Vietnamese enterprises.

He commended the efforts of the Government, central and local departments, investors and contractors for ensuring timely progress and completing many key components.

The Party leader stressed that to maximise the advantages brought by Long Thành Airport, relevant ministries and departments must clearly identify and enhance Việt Nam’s regional and global competitiveness.

The airport must be developed and operated with a pioneering spirit and vision, becoming a model of modern, sustainable and intelligent aviation infrastructure.

Stakeholders in the project should coordinate to build an international competitiveness evaluation framework for Long Thành International Airport, focusing on service quality, passenger experience, operational efficiency and regional connectivity.

The goal is for Long Thành to become one of the most attractive aviation hubs in Southeast Asia, rivalling the region’s top airports, said Party chief Lâm.

Regarding investment efficiency and project management, he urged the construction ministry, finance ministry and the ACV to assess not only the project’s financial performance but also its socio-economic, environmental as well as defence and security impacts.

Every investment should create broad ripple effects across the region and the country as a whole, reflected in GDP, employment, technology and human resources.

Strict oversight must continue to ensure quality and safety, prevent corruption and waste, and make Long Thành airport a key project founded on transparency and efficiency.

Regarding the next phases of the project, General Secretary Lâm called for proactive planning for increased productivity and possible expansion, while aligning with regional connectivity and the aviation service ecosystem.

He requested close coordination among ministries and localities to ensure multimodal transport links between the airport and HCM City as well as surrounding areas, fully harnessing the airport’s advantages in transport connections, urban services and logistics systems.

Party chief Lâm urged faster progress on expressways such as Biên Hòa–Vũng Tàu and Bến Lức–Long Thành, as well as HCM City’s Ring Roads 3 and 4. He also called for the early groundbreaking of the Thủ Thiêm–Long Thành light rail line, which will directly connect Long Thành Airport to HCM City’s metro system, and for the establishment of a regional passenger and logistics hub at the new airport to reduce overall logistics costs.

He also emphasised building a modern, synchronised airport service ecosystem that includes accommodation, conference centres, commerce, healthcare, training, logistics, customs and financial services, turning Long Thành into a true aerotropolis, a modern airport city and a key logistics and transit hub for Southeast Asia.

Party General Secretary Lâm called for enhancing Long Thành Airport’s international appeal by developing policies to attract foreign airlines, offering competitive fees and services and implementing promotion strategies on a global scale to make the airport a preferred destination.

Once completed, Long Thành Airport is expected to ease congestion at the current Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, boosting regional connectivity and affirming Việt Nam’s geostrategic position on the Asia-Pacific aviation map. — VNS