Quick summary
Long Thanh International Airport (LTH), located 40 km east of Ho Chi Minh City, is scheduled to begin full commercial operations in June 2026, with a formal AIRAC trigger date of 11 June 2026. Phase 1 is designed for 25 million passengers annually, and the Airports Corporation of Vietnam plans to route approximately 80% of international flights through LTH from opening, pulling most long-haul traffic away from Tan Son Nhat (SGN).
Not every airline will move on the same date — some carriers may maintain SGN operations longer than others. The airport code on your ticket, and your ground transfer plan, will need to change.
Vietnam’s most consequential aviation infrastructure project in decades is weeks away from its commercial debut. Long Thanh International Airport (LTH) will open for commercial flights in June 2026, formally triggered by a Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) AIP Supplement taking effect 11 June 2026 under the international AIRAC scheduling cycle.
For international travelers flying into southern Vietnam, this changes which airport you land at. The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) plans to shift roughly 80% of international traffic to LTH from day one, with long-haul routes from Europe, North America, India, and the Middle East moving first.
Tan Son Nhat (SGN) does not disappear — it retains around 90% of domestic traffic and a portion of regional international services. But if you are flying from London, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, or Sydney into Ho Chi Minh City after mid-2026, your arrival airport may no longer be the one you have always used.
Technical flights began at LTH on 19 December 2025 to test infrastructure. The June commercial launch is the target both ACV and Dong Nai provincial authorities are building toward, though the Prime Minister has set a Q4 2026 backstop in case of slippage.
What Long Thanh actually is — and what it replaces
Tan Son Nhat has been operating beyond its design capacity for years. Its urban location inside Ho Chi Minh City leaves no room to expand, and peak-hour congestion has become a structural problem rather than a seasonal one. Long Thanh is the answer — built on over 5,000 hectares of greenfield land in Dong Nai province, with dual runways and a terminal designed from the ground up for high-volume international operations.
Phase 1 alone cost more than USD 5.4 billion. The full three-phase project carries a price tag exceeding USD 16 billion, with an eventual capacity target of 100 million passengers per year — putting it in the same league as Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and Singapore Changi in terms of long-term ambition.
The ramp-up is measured, however. Aviation Week reports that initial handling capacity sits at 2.6 million passengers, scaling to 15 million annually by end-2027 — well below the Phase 1 design ceiling of 25 million, but sufficient to absorb the long-haul traffic being redirected from SGN.
For European travelers planning flights to Vietnam from Europe, the shift is particularly relevant: ACV’s strategy explicitly prioritizes Europe, India, the Middle East, and North America for the first wave of LTH transfers, with Northeast Asian routes following around 2027.
| Metric | LTH at opening | LTH by end-2027 | LTH Phase 1 design |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger capacity | 2.6 million/year | 15 million/year | 25 million/year |
| Cargo capacity | Data pending | Data pending | 1.2 million tons/year |
| International traffic share | ~80% of HCM City intl flights | Expanding | Full long-haul hub |
| Domestic traffic share | ~10% of HCM City domestic | Expanding | Secondary domestic role |
| Distance from city center | 40 km east | 40 km east | 40 km east |
| Total project investment | USD 16 billion+ (all phases); Phase 1: USD 5.4 billion+ | ||
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Same city, different airport — what actually changes for travelers
The core shift is operational, not regulatory. Ho Chi Minh City remains your destination; the airport serving it changes. LTH sits 40 km east of the city center, compared to SGN’s near-downtown position. That means longer transfers — but highway-based, more predictable, and without the urban traffic unpredictability that plagues SGN arrivals during peak hours.
The more complex scenario involves connections. Travelers combining a domestic leg — say, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City — with an onward international flight need to watch which airport each segment uses. If the domestic flight lands at SGN and the international departure moves to LTH, that is an inter-airport transfer, not a standard connection. Vietnam News confirms the planned traffic split, but airline schedule filings will determine exactly which routes move and when.
Not every carrier will move simultaneously. Aviation Week notes the long-haul shift plan is strategic rather than a hard regulatory mandate — some airlines may maintain SGN operations into late 2026 or beyond. The airport code on your ticket is the only reliable indicator.
Steps to take before booking any Ho Chi Minh City flight after June 2026
Airlines will begin filing LTH schedules progressively from early 2026 — the window to catch errors before they become expensive is now, not at check-in.
- Verify the airport code on every segment: When booking or reviewing existing reservations for travel from June 2026 onward, confirm whether each Ho Chi Minh City segment shows LTH or SGN. Do not assume — booking engines often display only the city name.
- Recalculate ground transfer times: LTH is approximately 40 km from the city center via highway. Budget at least 60–90 minutes in normal traffic conditions, more during peak hours. SGN transfer times no longer apply.
- Flag domestic-to-international connections: If your itinerary includes a domestic Vietnam flight connecting to a long-haul departure, confirm both segments use the same airport. An SGN domestic arrival connecting to an LTH international departure requires an inter-airport transfer — allow a minimum of 3–4 hours between flights.
- Book on a single ticket where possible: Through-ticketing on one booking reference protects you if an airline reschedules a segment between airports. Split bookings leave you exposed to the transfer cost and timing risk.
- Monitor your airline’s schedule filings: Carriers serving Ho Chi Minh City will update their schedules progressively. Check directly with your airline — particularly Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways, and long-haul carriers from Europe and North America — for confirmed LTH vs SGN assignments on your specific route.
Watch: The CAAV AIP Supplement effective 11 June 2026 is the formal trigger for airline navigation and scheduling changes. Watch for major carrier schedule updates in the weeks immediately before that date — that is when LTH airport codes will start appearing in live booking systems.
Questions? Answers.
Will all international flights to Ho Chi Minh City move to Long Thanh in June 2026?
Not all at once. The Airports Corporation of Vietnam plans to route approximately 80% of international traffic through LTH from opening, prioritizing long-haul routes from Europe, North America, India, and the Middle East. However, Aviation Week notes the shift is a strategic plan rather than a hard regulatory mandate — some carriers may maintain Tan Son Nhat (SGN) operations longer. The only reliable way to confirm which airport your flight uses is to check the airport code on your ticket after your airline files its updated schedule.
How far is Long Thanh Airport from Ho Chi Minh City, and how do I get there?
Long Thanh International Airport is approximately 40 km east of Ho Chi Minh City center, located in Dong Nai province. At opening, the primary transfer option will be highway road transport — there is no rail link to the airport in the initial phase. Budget 60–90 minutes in normal traffic conditions, and more during peak hours. This is longer than the Tan Son Nhat transfer but more predictable, as the route avoids inner-city congestion.
What happens to Tan Son Nhat (SGN) after Long Thanh opens?
Tan Son Nhat remains operational and continues to serve the majority of domestic traffic — approximately 90% of Ho Chi Minh City’s domestic flights will still use SGN. A portion of regional international services will also remain at SGN. The airport does not close; it shifts to a primarily domestic role while Long Thanh takes over as the main international gateway for southern Vietnam.
What if Long Thanh’s opening slips past June 2026?
There is a formal contingency. While ACV and aviation authorities are targeting June 2026, Vietnam’s Prime Minister has issued a directive setting Q4 2026 as the latest acceptable deadline for commercial operations. If the June date slips, the airport is still expected to open before the end of 2026. Travelers with bookings for July–September 2026 should monitor airline schedule updates closely, as a delay would mean some flights revert to SGN temporarily.
I have a domestic connection in Ho Chi Minh City before an international flight — what should I do?
This is the highest-risk itinerary type once Long Thanh opens. If your domestic flight lands at SGN and your international departure moves to LTH, you face an inter-airport transfer of roughly 40 km with no rail connection. Allow a minimum of 3–4 hours between flights, and wherever possible book both segments on a single ticket so the airline bears responsibility if a schedule change creates the mismatch. Check both airport codes explicitly when booking from mid-2026 onward.
