Long Thanh Airport: Proof of the will "nothing is impossible" (Part 4)

To effectively exploit Long Thanh Airport, completing the connecting traffic infrastructure system is a vital factor. Based on that requirement, the investment in building this airport itself has also played a role in activating a series of other traffic infrastructure projects to serve the exploitation, connecting the areas to spread the development momentum.

The two traffic routes (T1, T2) connecting Long Thanh Airport have basically completed construction. Photo: Pham Tung

"Power button" for a series of transport infrastructure projects

In mid-August 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh Expressway Expansion Project, part of the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway, officially began construction. This is one of the "key" projects to create traffic connections for Long Thanh Airport, especially during the first phase of the project.

Mr. Vu The Phiet, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietnam Airports Corporation (ACV), said: About 80% of passengers arriving at Long Thanh Airport want to travel to Ho Chi Minh City and vice versa. In the initial phase of Long Thanh Airport's operation, the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway is the main traffic route connecting the airport with Ho Chi Minh City, so the expansion of this expressway is very important in connecting traffic to the airport.

Comrade Vo Tan Duc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, said: Investing in the construction and completion of the transport infrastructure network connecting Long Thanh Airport to spread the development momentum from this project is always a priority of the province.

Currently, for traffic connection to Long Thanh Airport, the province has completed route 1, route 2, Dau Giay - Phan Thiet expressway connecting with Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway, inter-port road. At the same time, Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway; Ben Luc - Long Thanh; Long Thanh - Ho Tram; belt roads 3, 4 - Ho Chi Minh City; intra-provincial traffic routes 25B, 25C, 769E and other related routes. The North - South high-speed railway; Bien Hoa - Vung Tau railway; extension of urban railway from Suoi Tien to Dong Nai Provincial Political - Administrative Center and Long Thanh Airport; Thu Thiem - Long Thanh railway are also urgently completing documents for implementation.

The completed infrastructure projects will contribute greatly to the development of Dong Nai in the coming time. I believe that Dong Nai province will soon rise to the top of the country in economic growth.
Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc

Long Thanh Airport connection has entered the "sprint" stage.

The Resolution of the 1st Congress of Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee, term 2025-2030 frankly acknowledged that currently, digital infrastructure, connecting traffic infrastructure, and technical infrastructure are still lacking in synchronization.

In fact, the current traffic routes connecting from the North through Dong Nai to Ho Chi Minh City are not smooth. The connection from the Southwestern provinces through Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Nai is often congested; the route connecting Long Thanh Airport with Tan Son Nhat Airport has not been implemented, creating great pressure when Long Thanh Airport comes into operation. To serve the connection between the two largest airports in the Southern region, the Ministry of Construction is coordinating with relevant agencies to complete the procedures to assign the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City as the project management agency to soon invest in construction.

The Thu Thiem - Long Thanh railway line is being studied for investment with a length of about 42km, double track design, track gauge over 1.4m, design speed 120km/h and including 20 stations. The line has the function of transporting passengers in and out of Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province to Long Thanh Airport. The total preliminary investment of the project is nearly 3.4 billion USD.

In October 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee reported to the Government on the plan to connect Long Thanh Airport with Tan Son Nhat Airport. According to the report, the city proposed three implementation options. After analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of each option, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee believes that connecting via metro line No. 2 (Tham Luong - Ben Thanh - Thu Thiem) combined with the Thu Thiem - Long Thanh railway is the option with the most favorable conditions for early implementation.

Dr. Truong Minh Huy Vu, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies, Head of the Dong Nai Province Socio-Economic Advisory Group, shared: Early investment in the Thu Thiem - Long Thanh Railway Project not only helps solve the problem of traffic connection between the two major airports in the country but is also a very important premise to promote the socio-economic development of Dong Nai province, including the field of urban development.

As for Dong Nai province, to complete the traffic network connecting Long Thanh Airport, in the coming time, the province will also implement a series of projects such as upgrading, expanding, and constructing provincial roads 769; 769E; 773; 770B; extending the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro line to Tran Bien ward, Long Thanh Airport and road bridge projects connecting with Ho Chi Minh City such as: Cat Lai, Long Hung, Hieu Liem, Thanh Hoi, Xom La, Tan An, Tan Hien.

Provincial Party Committee member, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Ho Van Ha said: With the huge resources needed to invest in transport infrastructure projects in the province, if we only rely on public investment, we cannot meet the demand. Therefore, diversifying investment forms and attracting maximum social resources to participate in investing in completing the transport infrastructure system to serve development needs is very necessary.

To realize the goal of mobilizing resources from the whole society, the Provincial People's Committee has decided to approve the consortium of investors proposing to invest in the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien Metro Line Extension Project to Tran Bien Ward, Long Thanh Airport in the form of public-private partnership (PPP). At the same time, a series of other projects such as: Cat Lai Bridge; Long Hung Bridge; the connecting route from Dong Xoai to Ring Road 4 - Ho Chi Minh City via Provincial Road 753, Ma Da Bridge and the connecting route from Ma Da Bridge to Ring Road 4 - Ho Chi Minh City in the form of PPP.

In October 2025, the Provincial People's Committee approved CC1 as the investor to propose the Cat Lai Bridge and Access Road Construction Project under the PPP investment form. Previously, in August 2025, the Provincial People's Committee approved the joint venture of DonaCoop Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company and VinaCapital Group as the investor to propose the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien Metro Line Extension Project to Tran Bien Ward, Long Thanh Airport under the PPP form.

Long Thanh Airport is an important project contributing to the formation of the three strategic pillars of the country's development: institutions, infrastructure and human resources. In particular, Long Thanh Airport is an important infrastructure. Therefore, it cannot be delayed, every day of delay is a loss for the country.
General Secretary To Lam

Connecting traffic infrastructure between Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City

On October 21, 2025, at the conference between the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and the Standing Committee of the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee to discuss solutions for connecting traffic infrastructure between the two localities, Comrade Vu Hong Van, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Dong Nai Province said: Dong Nai Province is committed to not only discussing but also taking action; not only agreeing on policies but also coming to specific determination, clear roadmap, breakthrough solutions to immediately implement key traffic projects: expressways, beltways, connecting bridges, as well as the metro line from Ho Chi Minh City to Long Thanh Airport.

After the above working session, Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City also agreed to divide into independent projects to implement investment in the construction of Cat Lai, Long Hung and Phu My 2 bridges.

Long Thanh Airport is not only an international aviation gateway but also a regional connection center, spreading development to the entire Southeast region. To maximize the effectiveness of this project, synchronizing the traffic infrastructure connection system between Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai is of special importance. To promote the progress of the projects, on the occasion of General Secretary To Lam's visit and work on the Long Thanh Airport Project on November 13, 2025, Dong Nai province also proposed specific development mechanisms and policies.

According to comrade Vu Hong Van, there are currently 10 provinces and cities in the country that have had the National Assembly issue a pilot Resolution on specific policies and mechanisms for development. Dong Nai province has a large population, a large economy, and an important strategic position in the Southeast region, adjacent to Ho Chi Minh City, but still does not have specific policies and mechanisms on investment, land, and transport infrastructure.

Therefore, Dong Nai province recommends that the General Secretary and the Politburo approve the policy for the Government to summarize and evaluate the results of implementing specific mechanisms and policies as a basis for developing a Resolution of the National Assembly on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Dong Nai province in a number of areas similar to Resolution 98 applied to Ho Chi Minh City so that the two localities have the same mechanisms and policies to attract investment and build inter-regional transport infrastructure.

Along with that, it is proposed to approve the policy of adding the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien Metro Line Extension Project to Dong Nai Province and Long Thanh Airport to the list of urban railway projects piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies according to Resolution No. 188/2025/QH15 (dated February 19, 2025) of the National Assembly. Dong Nai also proposed that the Government direct ministries and branches to consider and supplement the planning of the East - West expressway route through Dong Nai Province to synchronize the expressway route from Hoa Lu Border Gate, the Central Highlands region to Long Thanh Airport.

Assessing the recommendations of Dong Nai province as appropriate, General Secretary To Lam agreed with the above recommendations, and at the same time requested ministries, branches and localities to focus on ensuring multi-modal infrastructure connection between Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai. Speed up the progress of Bien Hoa - Vung Tau, Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressways, beltways 3 and 4 - Ho Chi Minh City. In particular, soon start the construction of the Thu Thiem - Long Thanh light rail line, gradually connect the inner city metro directly to the airport and plan an inter-regional passenger and logistics transfer center right at this airport, reducing logistics costs in the whole region.

Pham Tung

Last article: Affirming Vietnamese mettle

>>> Lesson 1: Early completion of the country's century project
>>> Article 2: "Runway" helps Dong Nai develop
>>> Lesson 3: Developing human resources to serve the exploitation of Long Thanh Airport

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/kinh-te/202511/san-bay-long-thanh-minh-chung-cua-y-chi-khong-gi-la-khong-the-bai-4-22a2dd2/