Long Thành International Airport is in its final push, but several core facilities may miss the December 2026 target. A Ministry of Construction report, published by Báo Chính phủ on 26 October, puts the output of Component Project 3, the airport's essential works, at about 74,284.38 billion dong out of 86,348.6 billion dong, or roughly 86.03%. Of its 16 bid packages, four have finished construction, eight are likely to be completed in December 2026 and four are unlikely to make it, the passenger terminal among them.
Where the 16 packages stand
The four finished packages are 2.4 (the airport boundary fence within the 1,810-hectare site), 3.4 (site levelling and drainage), 5.6 (piling for the passenger terminal) and 6.12 (routes 1 and 2 of the GTKN system).
The eight expected to finish in December 2026 are 4.6 (the first runway, taxiways and aprons), 4.12 (the second runway), 4.7 (the passenger terminal apron), 4.9 (fuel supply), 4.11 (wastewater treatment), 5.11 (airport management system equipment), 2.10 (boundary fence) and 7.8a (piling for cargo terminal 1 and the remaining auxiliary works).
The four packages at risk
| Package | Scope | Progress vs contract value | Main problem |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.8 | Internal roads and technical infrastructure | About 80.6% | Labour shortage, lack of asphalt concrete |
| 5.10 | Passenger terminal | About 83.05% | Lack of engineers and skilled workers; slow paperwork |
| 7.8 | Cargo terminal 1 and auxiliary works | About 47.04% | Severe worker shortage; aviation equipment depends on shipping |
| 11.5 | Parking building | About 42.93% | Contractor has long failed to deploy enough staff |
Source: Ministry of Construction via Báo Chính phủ; compiled by KBVN+.
Package 4.8 still has a large amount of work left, mainly 43 km of grade-3 roads and 8 km of main roads. The ministry named a shortage of construction staff (about 1,440/2,515 workers) as the main reason it cannot be sped up. Finishing the planned items would need about 100,000 tonnes of asphalt concrete, or about 5,000 tonnes of bitumen and 60,000 m3 of stone, which the ministry called hardly feasible given a severe asphalt shortage. Equipment at the energy centre has not been fully installed or put through single-unit and integrated load tests, a precondition for operating the passenger terminal, and finishing by the end of November 2026 carries many risks.
At the passenger terminal (5.10), the structure is complete and finishing work is under way, but much remains. The contractor is struggling to hire welders and specialist installers, and slow paperwork is delaying both payments and site work. Of 51 load-test scenarios for power, water, air conditioning and ventilation, fire protection and terminal equipment, 16 have not been approved, and only the power supply, lighting and public address systems have been tested so far. ACV, the investor, has not set a date for finishing the tests.
Payments: over 10,430 billion dong stuck
Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) reported more than 10,430 billion dong in unresolved payments across many packages, according to Báo Chính phủ. That slows contractors' cash flow and their ability to bring in the workers and machines the lagging packages lack.
What's next
The ministry recommended that the authorities direct ACV to keep reviewing fuel and material supply problems, especially stone and asphalt, and to settle the payment backlog. ACV must recheck the remaining work on packages 5.10, 4.8, 7.8 and 11.5, set completion dates for construction, installation and finishing, and calculate the labour, machinery and materials needed. Contractors that miss their commitments face action under their contracts. For 5.10, ACV must urgently approve the trial-operation scenarios.
The goal is to open phase 1 of Long Thành in December 2026. To get there, ACV has to confirm exact completion dates for Component Project 3 so that it and the investors in Component Projects 1, 2 and 4 can start construction acceptance and environmental, security and aviation licensing.