As Việt Nam’s economic and financial hub, HCM City is seeking strategies to optimise the functions of both Tân Sơn Nhất and Long Thành international airports in order to reinforce its role as the nation’s aviation gateway and a regional transit centre.
Passenger terminal at Long Thành International Airport under construction. VNA/VNS Photo
Experts and policymakers have underlined that beyond building a world-class airport such as Long Thành, the challenge lies in ensuring coordinated, efficient and sustainable operations between the two facilities.
These issues were at the heart of an international workshop hosted by the Việt Nam Aviation Academy under the theme “The Long Thành – Tân Sơn Nhất Airport Pair: Shaping the National Gateway and Moving towards a Regional Transit Hub in the New Era,” held on Thursday in HCM City.
Speakers underlined that the issue was not only about building a world-class airport like Long Thành but also ensuring its effective and sustainable operation.
Nguyễn Thị Hải Hằng, director of the Việt Nam Aviation Academy, said the future coordination between Tân Sơn Nhất and Long Thành would form a “dual-port system,” serving as the national gateway, a regional transit hub, and a driver of trade, investment, tourism, and logistics.
She noted, however, that developing a major international airport was challenging, and managing it efficiently would require long-term strategies and careful planning.
Consultants from Incheon Airport Consortium emphasised Long Thành’s pivotal role in Southeast Asia’s aviation landscape.
With a designed capacity of 100 million passengers annually, the airport is expected to become one of the region’s largest transit hubs.
The consultants proposed two operational models: transferring all international flights to Long Thành or dividing operations by flight distance between the two airports.
While the first approach would maximise resources and streamline procedures, the second could cause confusion among passengers and reduce competitiveness.
Projections suggest that international passenger traffic at Long Thành will reach two million by 2029, five million by 2043, and nearly 9.2 million by 2060, with an average annual growth rate of 4.52 per cent.
Concentrating international operations at Long Thành, the consultants argued, would enhance efficiency and reinforce Việt Nam’s position in the regional aviation market.
Yet infrastructure connectivity remains a pressing concern. Long Thành’s links with HCM City and neighbouring provinces currently rely heavily on National Highway No 51 and the HCM City – Long Thành expressway, both of which are congested.
Phạm Minh Hải, director of the Institute for Strategy and Cadre Training, warned that overloaded roads and the lack of direct rail connections limited transport capacity.
He urged urgent planning adjustments to add inter-regional routes, prioritise upgrades to key expressways, and accelerate the Biên Hòa – Vũng Tàu and Bến Lức – Long Thành projects to secure seamless connectivity.
Urban planning experts also called for a phased approach.
Architect Ngô Viết Nam Sơn suggested that Long Thành should eventually evolve into one of Southeast Asia’s leading airports, integrated with an “airport city” model, free trade zones, and regional transport networks including ring roads, radial expressways, and metro lines.
However, since such infrastructure is not yet in place, he advised against assigning “excessive responsibilities” to Long Thành in the short term.
Instead, he proposed shifting 100 per cent of cargo operations to Long Thành as an immediate step to relieve pressure on Tân Sơn Nhất, while gradually transferring selected passenger flights as supporting infrastructure improves.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam (CAAV) affirmed Long Thành’s status as a flagship project.
CAAV director Uông Việt Dũng said the Government considered it a key driver for Việt Nam’s integration into the Asia–Pacific aviation network, directly competing with major regional airports.
He stressed the need for a clear transitional roadmap covering connectivity, services, and commercial development to ensure parallel and efficient operations between the two airports.
According to Dũng, while Tân Sơn Nhất continues to struggle with overcapacity and traffic congestion, Long Thành is expected to emerge as a new growth engine, enhancing the regional role of the city as an economic and financial hub.
Expert recommendations from the workshop, he said, would serve as a vital basis for CAAV to refine proposals and submit optimal strategies to the Government.
“The ultimate goal is safety, efficiency, and sustainability,” Dũng said, “ensuring that Việt Nam not only avoids disruption but also unlocks the full potential of both Long Thành and Tân Sơn Nhất.”