Aircraft 'inaugurate' Long Thanh airport: A special moment that will never happen again.

When the plane landed at Long Thanh airport, thousands of workers and engineers were overcome with emotion; for them, it was a special moment, one that would never happen again in their lives.

Workers and engineers were moved as Vietnam's largest aircraft landed at Long Thanh airport.

On the afternoon of December 15th at the Long Thanh airport construction site, as the roar of aircraft engines echoed across the vast expanse of runway number 1, many workers and engineers fell silent, their eyes fixed on the runway.

After more than four years (since the Prime Minister approved the project in 2020) of diligent construction, the moment Vietnam's largest wide-body aircraft safely landed at Long Thanh Airport not only marked a significant technical milestone but also opened up confidence and expectations for an era of aviation economic development reaching international standards.

A view of the Long Thanh airport mega-project - where the first test flight just took place.

In mid-December, a reporter from VTC News Online was present at the Long Thanh airport mega-project to document this historic moment.

At exactly 3:35 PM on December 15th, flight VN5001 took off from Tan Son Nhat Airport, watched and awaited by many people. At 4:04 PM the same day, the aircraft landed safely on the runway at Long Thanh Airport, then taxied towards the passenger terminal, completing its planned technical procedures before returning to Tan Son Nhat.

The moment the Boeing 787 Dreamliner rolled onto the brand-new runway moved many people to tears. Khoa Nam, a worker at the Long Thanh airport construction site, shared that this was a moment he and his colleagues had been waiting for for many years.

“Working at Long Thanh, I finally got to witness the largest aircraft in Vietnam landing at the airport. All the workers and engineers were nervous, excited, and emotional while waiting for that historic moment ,” said Mr. Nam.

The moment Vietnam's largest aircraft landed at Long Thanh airport on the afternoon of December 19th.

According to Mr. Nam, contributing to a key national project like Long Thanh Airport is a dream for many construction workers.

"Witnessing the airport change day by day is already a joy, but when the whistle blows, the plane lands, taxis towards the terminal, and passes the air traffic control tower, that's a once-in-a-lifetime moment for me ," he added.

The first test flight, VN5001, was operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner of Vietnam Airlines . This marked the first time a large wide-body aircraft landed on the runway of Vietnam's largest airport, signifying a significant step forward after more than four years of rapid construction.

Commenting on the flight, Mr. Pham Le Long, Deputy Head of Safety and Quality at Vietnam Airlines, said that previously, calibration flights mainly used small aircraft.

The use of wide-body aircraft in this test flight aims to comprehensively assess the runway, taxiway, apron, and surrounding areas, thereby confirming the safety conditions for receiving and operating large aircraft.

“Every week I fly over the Long Thanh airport area and witness the rapid changes in the construction. When I landed directly on runway number 1, I clearly felt that the quality of the runway surface and apron fully meets safety standards. In 2026, people will have the opportunity to experience flights to Long Thanh and feel proud that our country has built a world-class project ,” Mr. Long shared.

The moment Vietnam's largest aircraft landed at Long Thanh airport brought emotion and pride to thousands of workers and engineers involved in the key project.

Regarding the decision to choose the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to be the first aircraft to operate at Long Thanh Airport, Mr. Duong Quang Dien, Deputy Director of the Long Thanh International Airport Project Management Board (ACV), stated that the Boeing 787 is the largest wide-body aircraft currently in operation in Vietnam. Therefore, the decision to choose the Boeing 787 aims to comprehensively verify the airport's operational capacity, thereby confirming that Long Thanh can accommodate all types of aircraft currently in operation.

According to Mr. Dien, the test flight also helps assess the coordination and operational capabilities between relevant units, check the accuracy and synchronization of the equipment system, and ensure compliance with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This is considered a crucial step before Long Thanh Airport officially welcomes subsequent flights.

At the air traffic control tower, Mr. Tran Duy Khanh, Head of Air Traffic Control, said that each shift is tightly organized, with all positions from takeoff and landing controllers, ground control personnel to meteorological monitors. The shift leader plays a central role, ensuring all operational activities are carried out safely and smoothly.

The first test flight has landed and taxied on the Long Thanh airport runway, marking an important preparatory step before the inauguration of phase 1.

According to the leaders of the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM), Long Thanh Airport is equipped with a modern, almost fully digitized air traffic management and control system, including radar, ground surveillance, communications, and meteorological systems, creating a solid foundation for future operations.

On the same day, December 15th, the Boeing 787 aircraft continued its maiden flight, taking off from Long Thanh with flight number VN5002 at 6 PM and landing at Tan Son Nhat at 6:40 PM, completing the first series of technical operational verifications at Long Thanh airport.

For many, it was not just a technical flight, but a historic moment – ​​where the sweat and hard work of tens of thousands of engineers and workers over more than four years were rewarded with the image of a plane landing safely, opening up expectations for a modern aviation economic center of Vietnam in the future.

According to the plan, on December 19th, the Long Thanh International Airport project will inaugurate phase 1 and welcome its first official flight on the Noi Bai - Long Thanh - Noi Bai route.

In addition to the inaugural flight operated by Vietnam Airlines, Long Thanh Airport will welcome two more flights from Vietjet Air and Bamboo Airways. These flights are expected to land approximately 5 minutes apart, serving the purpose of testing and evaluating the operational capacity and coordination at the new airport.

Luong Y - Vtcnews.vn

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/may-bay-xong-dat-san-bay-long-thanh-khoanh-khac-dac-biet-khong-co-lan-thu-hai-ar993319.html