Long Thanh Airport: A Complete Guide for Saigon-Bound Travellers (2026)

Vietnam is opening a new flagship airport about an hour east of Saigon. Long Thanh International. First commercial flights are expected late 2026 or early 2027, with a total project cost near USD 16 billion spread over three phases. If you’re planning a Ho Chi Minh City trip in the next 12 to 24 months, the questions that actually matter are simple: where is it, when does it open, which airline will land you there, how do you get to District 1, and does any of this change where you should stay? This guide answers each one. Two companion pieces dig further into the side-by-side comparison with Tân Sơn Nhất and the tactical transfer guide to District 1.

What Long Thanh Airport is and when it opens

Long Thanh International Airport (ICAO: VVCS, IATA: LTI) is Vietnam’s new flagship gateway, designed to take over the bulk of international long-haul traffic now handled by Tân Sơn Nhất. Phase 1, a single terminal building with one runway, designed for 25 million passengers annually, is in the final commissioning stage as of 2026, with first commercial flights expected between late 2026 and early 2027.

The full project envisions four runways, four terminals, and an eventual capacity of 100 million passengers per year by around 2050, placing it among the largest greenfield airport developments in Southeast Asia. Total investment sits at roughly USD 16 billion across all three phases. You can find a deep dive into the project background and technical specifications in public references.

The build-out plan typically follows three phases:

• Phase 1 (2026-2027): One terminal, one runway, 25 million passengers/year, focus on long-haul international traffic.
• Phase 2 (2030-2032): Second runway and terminal expansion to 50 million passengers/year, adding cargo capacity.
• Phase 3 (2040-2050): Two additional runways and terminals, reaching the full 100 million passenger annual capacity.

One useful note for planners: airport projects of this scale often shift their opening windows by three to six months. Treat any date more than six months out as a reasonable estimate rather than a fixed schedule, and confirm operational status through your airline closer to your travel date.

Where Long Thanh actually sits

The airport occupies a large rural site in Long Thành district of Đồng Nai province, about 45 kilometres east of central Saigon (District 1) as the road runs. It sits closer to coastal Vũng Tàu (around 60 km) than to many other Vietnamese cities, positioning it well for both inbound tourism and connecting traffic through the southern industrial corridor where many global manufacturers have plants. For travellers planning the broader Saigon stay, a wider guide to the cultural landmarks of Ho Chi Minh City covers the cultural landmarks worth knowing about.

For travellers staying in District 1, the heritage commercial heart of Saigon, expect 45 to 75 minutes by car via the HCMC-Long Thành-Dầu Giây Expressway (CT.01), traffic permitting. Peak-hour commuting can push this to 90 minutes; pre-dawn and late-evening transfers run closer to the lower end. For comparison, the current Tân Sơn Nhất to District 1 transfer typically takes 25 to 45 minutes.

Long Thanh vs Tân Sơn Nhất, which airport you’ll fly into

This is the question most travellers care about first. The short version: Long Thanh handles long-haul international, Tân Sơn Nhất keeps domestic and regional Asia routes.

Both airports will operate simultaneously during the transition. Long Thanh is being designed as Vietnam’s primary long-haul international gateway, while Tân Sơn Nhất sits inside city limits and will keep its role for domestic flights and shorter regional international routes (within Asia). The airline you book determines which airport you arrive at. Check your booking confirmation in the transition window, since some carriers will route the same destination through different airports depending on day or season.

Going deeper: For a full side-by-side breakdown including comparison table, airline allocation logic, and how to plan around each option, see our Long Thanh vs Tân Sơn Nhất guide.

Which airlines will use Long Thanh first

Confirmed Phase 1 operators include Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways and Vietjet for selected long-haul routes. Among foreign carriers, the first to relocate are expected to come from the Star Alliance and Skyteam partnerships. Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, ANA, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways and Emirates are likely among the first movers. North American carriers (United, Delta) and Australian operators (Qantas) are expected to follow as Long Thanh’s customs and ground handling capacity matures.

The typical route allocation logic looks like this:

• Long-haul intercontinental (Europe, North America, Middle East, Australia) → Long Thanh, where the longer runways and modern arrivals processing are designed for wide-body operations.
• Regional Asia + secondary international (Japan, Korea, Singapore, Bangkok) → either airport during transition, with carriers choosing based on slot availability.
• Domestic (Hanoi, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phú Quốc) → Tân Sơn Nhất, where the proximity to city centre suits same-day connections.

If you’re booking transit through Saigon, for instance arriving on a long-haul carrier and connecting to a Vietnam Airlines domestic flight, you may now have an inter-airport transfer to factor in. Phase 1 will see a coordinated coach service between the two airports for connecting passengers, with journey time of 75-90 minutes.

Getting to District 1 from Long Thanh

The CT.01 expressway is the spine of every realistic transfer option. From the airport, the route runs west via CT.01 to Mai Chí Thọ, then onto the East-West Highway into District 2, crossing the Thủ Thiêm tunnel into central District 1.

Five practical transfer options:

• Private chauffeured car, most reliable, 60 minutes off-peak, 90 minutes at rush hour. USD 50-80 one-way for premium service.
• Hotel airport pickup, four- and five-star properties often include complimentary transfers; specific terms vary by hotel policy and booking channel.
• Grab / Be ride-hail, apps operate at Long Thanh from day one, with fares 25-40% higher than Tân Sơn Nhất route due to distance.
• Airport bus, express service planned with stops at Thủ Đức and District 1, in the VND 80,000-150,000 range.
• Metro Line 2 extension (future), long-term planning, not a 2026-2028 option.

The transfer prices mentioned in this overview are estimates based on distance and existing routes from Tan Son Nhat. They aren’t final figures. We’ll update them once official rates are published after Long Thanh begins commercial operations.

Going deeper: For each transfer mode broken down with real prices, journey times by time of day, and what to expect en route, see our Long Thanh to District 1 transfer guide.

Does Long Thanh change where you should stay?

Short answer: no. The case for staying in District 1, walkable to the Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian street, the Saigon Opera House, the Saigon River and the heritage corridor, is unchanged by where you fly into. The 30-minute additional drive from Long Thanh is a one-time cost on each end of your trip. The cultural, dining and walkable advantages of central Saigon apply for every other waking hour of your stay.

If anything, the longer transfer makes a 24-hour concierge with established transport relationships more valuable, not less. Among luxury hotels in central Saigon, look for properties with proven transfer partnerships, English-fluent reception, and the ability to track flight delays in real time.

One nuance: travellers arriving during peak windows like Tết 2027 should confirm transfer arrangements at booking. Luxury hotel transfer fleets often book out during festival weeks.

The wider tourism impact on Ho Chi Minh City

Long Thanh isn’t only a logistics change. The bigger story is capacity. Tân Sơn Nhất has been running at or above its design ceiling for years now. Peak mornings have been the worst, with the slot crunch limiting how many long-haul flights can land in any given window. Long Thanh’s Phase 1 alone, with its 25 million passenger capacity, almost doubles the wide-body capacity for the entire southern region.

Three knock-on effects worth tracking:

• Direct flight expansion. Expect new direct routes from secondary North American cities (Seattle, Vancouver) and European hubs (Madrid, Rome) within 12-18 months of full Phase 1 operation, where Tân Sơn Nhất slot constraints had previously made these routes commercially marginal.
• Pricing pressure. Increased seat capacity historically reduces fares on the most contested routes within 18-24 months. Vietnam Airlines and major foreign carriers are positioning for this.
• Visitor profile shift. The combination of more direct flights from long-haul markets and increased capacity makes Saigon a more accessible standalone destination, not just an entry point to Vietnam. Hotels that lean into longer average stays, three to five nights, are well-positioned.

How The Myst Đồng Khởi handles Long Thanh arrivals

Booking a stay at The Myst Đồng Khởi includes airport pickup coordination from the moment your reservation is confirmed. Share your flight number with our reservations team. From there, we coordinate the rest: assigning the driver, timing the pickup, and making sure someone is waiting for you the moment you step into the international arrivals hall.

Guests who book directly through our website and stay two nights or more receive a complimentary one-way Tân Sơn Nhất transfer. Long Thanh doesn’t yet have a complimentary programme since the airport is still pre-launch; the details will be announced soon. If you need a Long Thanh pickup in the meantime, our reservations team can arrange a private chauffeur for any stay length.

The drive from Long Thanh to the hotel takes about 60 to 75 minutes by private chauffeur. The driver speaks English fluently and is happy to share more about the route during the ride if you’d like.

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Crafted by Silverland Hotels.