Long Thanh Airport before "D-Day": The plan to welcome the Boeing 787 superjumbo jet is complete.

Sân bay Long Thành trước — The air traffic control tower at Long Thanh Airport is nearing completion. Photo: VATM

Air traffic infrastructure: The "brain" is ready.

According to updates as of mid-December, the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) has officially completed 100% of the preparations regarding infrastructure, equipment, and personnel. This is a crucial step in preparing for the series of technical flights scheduled to take place from December 15th to 19th.

In the central area, the Long Thanh Air Traffic Control Tower – an architectural highlight with its lotus-bud design and 123m-high control tower – has been completed along with supporting facilities on a total area of 24,000 m2. In addition, the airport's "eyes" including primary and secondary radar stations, radio broadcasting systems, and multi-directional navigation stations have also been fully installed on an area of approximately 70,000 m2.

A representative from VATM affirmed that the unit is ready to take control of the airspace at this new mega-airport with a complete technical system and internationally qualified personnel. A special feature of this deployment is the application of a "multi-layered, multi-tiered" safety standard. Essential systems such as communication, navigation, and surveillance are not only undergoing stable trial operation but also have multi-layered backup mechanisms, ensuring continuous 24/7 operation and minimizing the risk of disruption even in bad weather or complex technical incidents.

The runway is lit up, awaiting the arrival of the "iron bird".

Parallel to the progress of the air traffic control tower, the Vietnam Airports Corporation (ACV) is also urgently completing the items at the airfield. On the evening of December 11th, runway 1 (23L/05R) of Long Thanh airport officially lit up, marking its readiness for a test flight.

The navigation lights here utilize 100% imported LED technology from Europe, combined with a precision landing guidance system (ILS/DME). This combination is considered an advanced technological solution, helping to guide aircraft to approach and land with absolute precision even in conditions of limited visibility. In fact, this navigation light system was successfully tested on the evening of April 26, 2025, for prior calibration flights.

Currently, cleaning of the runway, taxiway B, and connecting taxiways has been completed, ensuring that all conditions are met to receive aircraft according to the actual operating scenario.

Flight test scenarios and airspace challenges

According to the plan, the historic technical flights will utilize modern large aircraft such as the Boeing 787 and A350. Specifically, on December 15th, a flight will depart from Tan Son Nhat Airport to Long Thanh and return, with a flight time of approximately 40 minutes. Following that, on December 19th, another flight is scheduled to depart from Noi Bai Airport and land in Long Thanh.

To achieve this, one of the biggest challenges the engineering team has overcome is optimizing airspace. Due to Long Thanh's geographical location being very close to Tan Son Nhat International Airport and Bien Hoa military airport, air traffic control is extremely complex. After years of collaboration with Boeing Corporation, VATM has developed an optimized flight procedure that meets the requirements for simultaneous operation of both major airports in the Southeast region. This procedure has been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority and will officially be implemented from December 19, 2025.

Human factors and emergency scenarios

Besides preparing the equipment, the human factor is also given top priority. On December 10th, the Civil Aviation Authority conducted training on a simulator (SIM) for air traffic controllers at Long Thanh, with exercises focusing on handling challenging situations such as bad weather or equipment malfunctions.

The operational forces at Long Thanh Air Traffic Control Tower, Tan Son Nhat Approach Center, and Ho Chi Minh City Long-Distance Control Center have been trained to coordinate closely. Detailed scenarios for handling anomalies, from loss of communication and aircraft technical malfunctions to security situations such as illegal interference by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have been developed. Even a plan for diverting to Tan Son Nhat has been carefully considered to ensure readiness for any situation.

Component three of the Long Thanh airport project includes essential facilities such as the terminal and runway.

Meanwhile, at component project 3, contractors are also racing against time to construct the passenger terminal. The main structural elements have been largely completed, making way for the installation of specialized equipment such as baggage conveyors, security screening systems, and interior finishing, to ensure consistency between engineering and architecture when the airport officially opens.

The upcoming first technical flight is not only a test of the investor's and air traffic control's capabilities but also a milestone affirming Vietnam's aviation position in mastering technology at this key national project.

Source: https://vtv.vn/san-bay-long-thanh-truoc-gio-g-hoan-tat-kich-ban-don-sieu-may-bay-boeing-787-100251212135030171.htm