Vietnam Airlines, VietJetAir, and Vietravel Airlines have submitted their initial operating plans for Ho Chi Minh City Long Thanh International ahead of its planned commercial opening in December 2026, according to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV).

ACV said VietJetAir plans to base three A320 family aircraft at Long Thanh during the trial period from early December 2026 until January 15, 2027. The carrier intends to launch domestic services to Hanoi Noi Bai International, Haiphong, Vinh City, and Thanh Hoa with an average of 18x daily flights.

Between January 16 and June 9, 2027, the low-cost carrier expects to increase the number of based A320 family jets to as many as six, add Da Nang, Hue Phu Bai International, and Phu Quoc, and operate about 26-42x daily flights.

From the summer 2027 schedule, VietJetAir plans to base eight to 10 narrowbody aircraft at Long Thanh and expand international services to Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka. It also intends to deploy A330-300 and A330-900N widebodies on routes to India, Australia, and Europe, with at least two international routes planned during the airport's initial phase.

The airline has also proposed limiting additional slots at Ho Chi Minh City to encourage traffic to shift to Long Thanh.

On its part, Vietnam Airlines has proposed transferring four international routes from Ho Chi Minh City to Long Thanh, serving Beijing Capital, Hong Kong International, Guangzhou, and Manila Ninoy Aquino International. According to ACV, these routes account for about 12% of the flag carrier's international operations from Ho Chi Minh City.

Meanwhile, Vietravel Airlines plans to begin commercial services from Long Thanh by the end of 2026 but has not disclosed routes or fleet allocations.

ACV said it has surveyed facilities for Korean Air, ANA - All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, and JAL - Japan Airlines and has held discussions with representatives of 34 international airlines. The airport operator is also promoting 21 additional international routes, which it estimates could add two million annual passengers by 2030.

The state airport operator continues efforts to complete the airport on schedule after earlier delays. Construction has faced labour shortages, rising costs, adverse weather, and disruption following a bribery investigation that led to the arrest of ACV's former chairman. The operator has said Long Thanh is in its "final sprint" and remains targeted for commercial operations by the end of 2026.