HCM City authorities are planning seven bus routes linking major urban hubs to Long Thành International Airport ahead of its scheduled opening in June, as officials seek to expand public transport access to the new aviation gateway.
Artist’s impression of Long Thành International Airport in Đồng Nai Province. HCM City plans to launch seven new bus routes linking major urban hubs to the airport ahead of its June opening. — Photo courtesy of ACV
The proposal, being developed by the city’s Public Transport Management Centre under the Department of Construction, comes as key expressway and rail connections to the airport remain under construction.
Located in neighbouring Đồng Nai Province about 40 km east of central HCM City, Long Thành airport is expected to initially handle a large share of passengers from Việt Nam’s commercial hub.
Phạm Ngọc Dũng, director of the transport centre, said the draft plan includes seven routes connecting the airport with major transport interchanges and surrounding economic zones.
Three routes would originate from Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, the new Eastern Bus Station, and Sài Gòn Bus Station to facilitate passenger transfers across the city.
Two additional routes are proposed from areas formerly part of Bình Dương Province and two from areas previously under Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province, which were merged into HCM City last year following administrative restructuring.
City authorities are also coordinating with Đồng Nai Province to finalise route alignments, vehicle types and operating models, including whether operators will be selected through direct appointment or competitive bidding. Planned services are expected to prioritise expressway corridors to reduce travel times.
Officials said infrastructure needed to support bus operations around the airport has largely been prepared, raising the possibility that services could begin when the airport starts commercial operations.
Long Thành International Airport is a major national infrastructure project covering nearly 5,000 hectares with total investment estimated at about VNĐ337 trillion. Several first-phase components were completed by late 2025, and the airport is scheduled to begin commercial operations in June 2026.
Current access to the airport relies mainly on the HCM City–Long Thành–Dầu Giây Expressway and National Highways 1 and 51, while longer-term metro and railway links between central HCM City and the airport area remain under development.