Vietnam's New Long Thanh Airport Is Set to Open in December 2026, Here's What Travellers Should Know

Vietnam's new Long Thanh International Airport, being built around 40 kilometres east of Ho Chi Minh City in Dong Nai province, is on track for a planned commercial opening on 1 December 2026, following a technical opening and calibration flights that began in December 2025. Once operational, it is set to take over as the country's largest airport, eventually handling the bulk of the region's long-haul international traffic that currently passes through the congested Tan Son Nhat International Airport closer to the city centre.

What changes at first

Vietnam Airlines has said it plans to relocate four of its international routes, to Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Manila, to Long Thanh as an initial phase once commercial operations begin, describing it as a market test before shifting more services. Tan Son Nhat is expected to keep running in parallel throughout the transition, retaining its domestic network and shorter-haul international routes.

What it means for travellers to and from India

Budget carrier VietJet has said it intends to add routes to India, among other markets, as part of its longer-term expansion into Long Thanh, though no confirmed India route or start date has been announced. For now, flights between India and Ho Chi Minh City continue to operate through Tan Son Nhat, and that is expected to remain the case through the early phase of the transition.

Why the move matters

Tan Son Nhat has operated well beyond its original design capacity for some years, and congestion has been a recurring complaint on routes into Ho Chi Minh City. Long Thanh has been designed with substantially higher capacity, and Vietnamese authorities expect it to eventually absorb most of the country's long-haul international traffic, with a fuller transition planned through 2027 and beyond.

What to do differently

Nothing changes immediately for travellers booking flights into Ho Chi Minh City today. Once airlines begin confirming which routes are moving and when, it will be worth checking which airport, Tan Son Nhat or Long Thanh, a booking actually arrives at, since the city's two airports are expected to operate simultaneously for some time. Confirm the current status and any route changes with your airline before booking, since transition timelines for large airport openings often shift.