The construction unit is installing components of the passenger terminal at Long Thanh International Airport.

According to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the investor of the Long Thanh International Airport Project in Dong Nai, the project is currently facing a severe labor shortage. ACV is mobilizing maximum resources for the 180-day peak period to recruit and supplement personnel, accelerate construction progress, complete the project, and begin commercial operations in December 2026.

Thousands of Construction Workers Still Needed

To date, the Long Thanh International Airport construction investment project has reached 77% of the output value under signed contracts. For the main construction and installation package, Component Project 3, which covers essential airport facilities and includes 16 bidding packages, three packages have been completed, including fencing, land leveling and drainage, and passenger terminal pile construction. The remaining 13 main bidding packages are still under construction. In terms of construction workforce, the site maintains an average of more than 7,300 direct workers each day. ACV is urgently requiring contractors to mobilize additional manpower, ensuring that the number of direct workers on site reaches nearly 9,000 per day, together with indirect personnel to accelerate internal processing and dossier completion.

“The mobilization of construction labor and design work are currently bottlenecks, as the entire project is short of around 1,668 personnel. Due to the large labor shortage and the backlog of more than 20,000 drawings, there is increasing pressure on construction progress as well as acceptance and payment dossiers,” an ACV representative said.

In June, ACV marked an important milestone by completing power energization for the project, a decisive step that provides a stable and safe energy foundation for the trial operation phase. This is a prerequisite for ACV to synchronously operate complex technical infrastructure systems across the construction site, demonstrating its determination to achieve the target of putting Long Thanh International Airport into commercial operation by the end of 2026 in line with the Government’s direction.

ACV’s leadership is concentrating all resources on construction packages under Component Project 3 and urging contractors to accelerate progress during the 180-day final sprint. Specifically, key facilities that determine the airport’s service capacity, such as the passenger terminal, are being intensively constructed and equipped by the contractor consortium, with technical readiness targeted for September 2026.

Runway, taxiway, and related airfield components have basically completed their main items, successfully conducted calibration flights, and are expected to be fully completed in July.

The aircraft apron is also in the process of completing its cement concrete surface, with completion targeted for August 2026.

The second runway is being constructed on a rolling basis to synchronize with the airfield area and is expected to be completed before September 30, 2026. The airport management equipment package is also being implemented in coordination with the installation progress of terminal equipment and the Air Traffic Control Tower.

Integrated Trial Operation in September

According to experts, auxiliary facilities, including the cargo terminal, are fully capable of meeting the completion target of October 30, 2026. The boundary fence is being urgently constructed to ensure security and safety before the airport enters integrated operation. The Project Management Board is strongly urging contractors to add design experts and high-quality personnel to meet the completion target in the fourth quarter of 2026.

To optimize time and accelerate project progress, ACV is applying a rolling project management method based on the principle of “construction, acceptance, and trial operation completed step by step,” making use of the finishing phase to conduct inspections, system testing, and trial operations. Under the plan, in September, relevant units will carry out integrated trial operations, a key milestone to assess coordination between airfield infrastructure, terminal facilities, and technological processes. Based on trial operation results and the issuance of operational safety certificates, the project is expected to officially enter commercial operation in December 2026.

To facilitate construction, ACV has proposed that the Prime Minister assign the Ministry of Finance to take the lead and coordinate with the State Bank of Vietnam and the Ministry of Construction in guiding the mechanism for applying payment exchange rates for the passenger terminal package, as the contractor has not yet reached agreement with the Project Management Board on the temporary exchange rate based on bidding document regulations. ACV also proposed that the Ministry of Construction provide specific guidance on the internal approval process for contract adjustments to ensure a clear legal framework and facilitate disbursement.

Long Thanh International Airport is a national key project of special importance. Government leaders have identified the target of completing and putting the project into commercial operation by the end of this year as a mandatory requirement.

At the recent conference reviewing the first six months of 2026 of the State Steering Committee for National Key and Important Works and Projects, Mr. Nguyen Duc Hung, Acting General Director of ACV, committed to the Prime Minister that ACV would complete all 13 main construction and installation packages of Long Thanh International Airport, ensuring sufficient infrastructure for the project to operate commercially and safely in December 2026.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/