What's special about the inaugural flight to Long Thanh this afternoon?

VTV.vn - The Boeing 787, the largest wide-body aircraft currently operated by Vietnamese airlines, will land at Long Thanh airport for a test flight on the afternoon of December 15th.

According to the plan, the Boeing 787 will take off from Tan Son Nhat Airport ( Ho Chi Minh City) and land at Long Thanh Airport at 3:30 PM. This is a crucial technical flight, aimed at comprehensively assessing operational capabilities before the airport officially welcomes its first passenger flights on December 19th.

A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft with a distinctive design, featuring the image of the mythical Lac bird, is the emblem of Vietnam Airlines .

Although the Boeing 787 has a maximum capacity of approximately 340 passengers, this test flight only carried the crew and technical staff. Immediately after completing the inspection procedures at Long Thanh, the aircraft will return to Ho Chi Minh City.

Throughout the test flight, this "giant" performed all standard flight procedures, including takeoff, approach, and landing. The main objective was to test and evaluate the simultaneous coordination capabilities between two important gateway airports in the Southeast region.

Long Thanh Airport is ready to receive aircraft landings on December 15th.

To ensure absolute safety, core personnel such as air traffic control, engineering, meteorology, flight procedures, and rescue have undergone intensive training and have been assigned to tightly controlled shifts. This work is based on operational documentation that has been reviewed through multiple rounds, strictly meeting the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Convention on Air Navigation Services Providers (CANSO).

Previously, on December 10th, the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority conducted a training assessment on the flight simulator (SIM) for air traffic controllers at Long Thanh Airport. Difficult scenarios were simulated, including adverse weather conditions, navigation equipment malfunctions, and aircraft emergencies. The results showed that the coordination and response capabilities of the air traffic control force met operational requirements.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Viet, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Airports Corporation (ACV), affirmed that the key components of the project have been basically completed. Structures such as the runway, apron, air traffic control tower, technical systems, and reception facilities are all ready for the opening day.

Following the test flight on December 15th, the first official flight to Long Thanh Airport, scheduled for December 19th, will operate on the Noi Bai - Long Thanh - Noi Bai route.

In a report submitted to the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Construction stated that many important tasks serving the first technical flight and the first official flight have been completed.

In terms of infrastructure, ACV has completed runway number 1, the taxiway system and aircraft parking apron in front of the passenger terminal, along with synchronized equipment such as signal lights, signs, and signal markings.

The load-bearing capacity of the runway system has also been measured, ensuring it meets the requirements for operating the largest aircraft as designed.

In addition, ACV has completed the connecting road between T1 and T2 terminals and finished the main access road within the airport before December 15th. They have also developed aircraft operation plans, ground handling plans, and appropriate personnel deployment plans.

Regarding the work of ensuring flight operations, airspace, and flight procedures, VATM has basically completed the construction of the air traffic control tower; and installed key technical systems such as primary radar, secondary radar (PSR/SSR), DVOR/DME navigation station, and ADS-B system.

VATM has also finalized flight procedures and optimal operational plans for the Tan Son Nhat - Long Thanh area. A plan has been developed to deploy personnel from other airports, ensuring they have the necessary capabilities and licenses as required by regulations.

Simultaneously, this unit has developed training programs and organized on-site and simulation-based training to ensure the quality of its human resources.

Phase one of Long Thanh Airport covers an area of ​​1,810 hectares and construction began in January 2021. With a designed capacity of 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo per year, the project is expected to officially begin commercial operation in mid-2026.

Source: https://vtv.vn/dieu-dac-biet-cua-chuyen-bay-xong-dat-long-thanh-chieu-nay-100251215093155671.htm