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With a colossal investment of US$16 billion, the construction of Long Thanh International Airport will be the largest infrastructure project in Vietnam, capable of receiving more than 100 million passengers per year and boosting the country's economy!
Vietnam is experiencing an incredible growth in tourism, and the need to build a new airport has become more than evident. Today, Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City is the only one in the region and, honestly, it is no longer up to the task. It was designed to handle 30 million passengers per year, but last year it reached the incredible mark of 109 million!
Faced with this chaos, the government had no choice: a big solution was needed. Thus, the idea of Long Thanh International Airport was born. The new construction is taking place about 40 km from Ho Chi Minh City, in Dong Nai province, and will ease the suffocation of the current airport, bringing more comfort and efficiency to passengers.
What makes this construction so important for the country?
Well, we’re not talking about just any airport. This is simply Vietnam’s largest construction project to date! When fully operational, it will handle over 100 million passengers per year and handle around 100 million tons of cargo. This puts the country on a new level in global aviation.
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To give you an idea, Tan Son Nhat International Airport has run out of room to grow, as it is surrounded by buildings and congested roads. Long Thanh Airport, on the other hand, is designed to expand over time, ensuring that Vietnam does not fall behind in the aviation industry.
Lotus flower inspired design and its technologies
Now, let’s talk about the look of this giant. Unlike many airports with that traditional look, Long Thanh was designed to be iconic. The South Korean firm Heerim Architects created a design in the shape of a lotus flower, which is one of the greatest symbols of Vietnam. The people approved, the experts liked it and the design was made official.
But it's not just about beauty. This airport is being built with high technology and sustainable solutions. It will be energy efficient, reuse water and an intelligent system to optimize passenger circulation. The idea is to reduce waiting times and make the airport experience much more fluid and modern.
A giant work, full of challenges along the way
Building an airport of this size is no easy feat, and the project had to be divided into three phases. The first officially began on January 5, 2021, but three days later… surprise! Workers found several unexploded mortar rounds from the Vietnam War. Yes, explosive devices buried for decades! This raised an alarm and required a detailed inspection of the site before construction could continue.
If everything goes as expected, the first phase should be completed in 2026, with a terminal and a runway operating for 25 million passengers per year. After that comes the second phase, with the construction of more terminals and runways.. The third and final phase — scheduled for after 2035 — will transform Long Thanh into the largest airport in Vietnam and one of the busiest in the world.
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