December Launch! What Business Opportunities Does Vietnam’s Long Thanh International Airport Bring?
Long Thanh International Airport (Long Thanh) has moved one step closer to official commercial operation. Under the current schedule, trial operations will begin at the end of September, and commercial flights will officially begin in December. In early September, the completion rate of the 16 main packages in phase one of the project was close to 80%, and runways, taxiways, aprons, and other facilities were also nearing completion.
For Dong Nai Province, after the airport opens, in addition to more flights, logistics, industrial parks, hotels, and commercial services are also expected to gradually see new demand. 
Construction site of the Long Thanh International Airport passenger terminal; the project is expected to begin trial operations at the end of September. Image source: https://tuoitre.vn/
Construction Nearing Completion; ACV Prepares to Take Over Operations
Currently, phase one is invested in and will subsequently be managed and operated by Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV). ACV has established relevant branches to prepare for the official takeover. Foreign participants have also entered: in 2024, ACV and the Incheon Airport consortium (Incheon…
At the same time, ACV has contacted 34 foreign airlines. All Nippon Airways (ANA), Korean Air, and others have visited the site for inspections; Korean Air is also interested in cargo facilities. In other words, what all parties now need to prepare is to ensure that after the airport is put into operation on schedule, both passengers and cargo can enter smoothly, and that routes and cargo operations can gradually get up and running.
Long Thanh International Airport has entered the final construction stage, while ACV is simultaneously preparing for trial operations, air routes, and official commercial operation. Image source: https://vietnambiz.vn/
Once the Airport Opens, Logistics and Industry Will Benefit First
The phase-one design capacity of Long Thanh Airport is 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo per year; when fully completed, it can reach 100 million passengers and 5 million tonnes of cargo. For Dong Nai, which already has a large number of industrial parks, air cargo demand may transmit to the industrial end faster than passenger demand.
The local area is planning the airport, industrial parks, ports, and expressways together to develop an air logistics center, bonded warehouses, and multimodal transport. As the nearby Phuoc An Port and several expressways are gradually improved, enterprises will be able to more conveniently consolidate cargo and then send it overseas via the airport or port.
For time-sensitive industries such as electronics, precision manufacturing, and medical equipment, this will affect future site selection: in addition to land and labor costs, they will also begin to look at whether goods can enter international markets faster.
The transportation network around Long Thanh Airport is being improved, and in the future it will further connect industrial parks, ports, and urban markets. Image source: https://tuoitre.vn/
As Logistics Grows, Hotels and Commercial Services Will Also Increase
The second-order impact brought by an airport is usually slower. The “airport city” plan currently proposed by Dong Nai also includes air logistics, exhibitions, education, healthcare, and high-tech industries. As international flights increase, commercial activities will also require new space.
After offices, hotels, logistics warehouses, and commercial facilities take shape, enterprises and the working population will gradually increase, and housing demand will rise accordingly.
An airport city is gradually taking shape around Long Thanh Airport, and future commercial demand may come from aviation, logistics, and corporate services. Image source: https://vnexpress.net/
Once the Airport Opens, Surrounding Industries Will Not Boom Immediately
Dong Nai is still accelerating multiple expressway and urban transportation projects, and some supporting works still need time. ACV also stated that after a large airport enters commercial operation, it usually still needs a period of continuous adjustment of systems and processes.
If routes, cargo, and transportation can be smoothly connected, the impact will gradually amplify: first logistics and manufacturing, then hotels, offices, and commercial services, and finally a more complete urban living circle.
The industrial and logistics network around Long Thanh Airport is taking shape, and air cargo is expected to further connect Dong Nai’s manufacturing industry with the global market. Image source: https://thanhnien.vn/
Final Takeaway: What New Opportunities Does Long Thanh Airport Bring?
After it enters commercial operation in December, the most direct role of Long Thanh Airport will of course be to increase Vietnam’s international aviation capacity. But for Dong Nai Province, what is more noteworthy is the chain reaction brought by the airport: faster cargo, easier access for enterprises to overseas markets, and new nodes in logistics and industrial parks.
For investors, what will be worth watching in the future is which types of industries will increase first after the international airport opens, and which industrial and commercial areas will be the earliest to form new demand.
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