Vietnam’s Long Thanh airport opens first hiring round, with 14,000 jobs to fill by late 2026

The airport in Dong Nai Province is planned to gradually take over international flights from the overloaded Tan Son Nhat Airport in neighboring Ho Chi Minh City, with ACV expecting it to handle most of HCMC’s international passengers by 2027.

The airport’s acting director, Nguyen Xuan Phong, has sent the recruitment notice to Dong Nai’s Department of Home Affairs and district People’s Committees for seven positions: aviation safety specialists, safety officers, service quality control specialists, drivers and ground equipment operators, firefighters, technical equipment maintenance and repair staff, and technical equipment operators.

Applicants must be Vietnamese citizens with a clean record, a high school diploma or higher, and skills in document drafting, report writing, and communication. The maximum age is 30 or 35 depending on the position, and candidates must meet requirements for professional qualifications, foreign-language proficiency, and relevant certifications.

The minimum monthly income is VND15 million (US$570), and the application window runs until April 30. ACV has not disclosed how many workers it will hire in this round.

The broader workforce need is far larger. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, Phase 1 operations will require around 14,000 workers, with more than 8,900 in aviation services alone.

At an August 2025 job fair organized with the Dong Nai People’s Committee, ACV said Phase 1 will generate roughly 3,000 direct hires, of which ACV itself will take on about 1,400. The rest will be filled by airlines and ground service providers.

Long Thanh sits on about 5,000 hectares roughly 40 km east of HCMC, with a total approved investment of VND336.63 trillion ($12.8 billion).

The full project is designed to handle up to 100 million passengers a year at maximum capacity across three phases, which would make it the largest airport in Vietnam and one of the largest in Southeast Asia. Phase 1, now approaching completion, is designed for 25 million passengers and 1.2 million metric tons of cargo per year.

The opening timeline was reset in late March, when then-Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh instructed ACV and contractors during an on-site inspection to complete construction by the third quarter of 2026 so that commercial operations can start in the fourth quarter. The previous target had been mid-2026.

ACV has positioned Long Thanh as a “smart green airport” featuring biometric check-in, documentless immigration, and automated baggage handling linked to Vietnam’s national population database. The 115-meter air traffic control tower and main terminal structure were substantially complete by late 2025, with contractors now racing to finish interior systems, utilities, and airside equipment before the Q3 2026 deadline.

For international travelers, the shift will mean a longer ground commute. Long Thanh sits roughly double the distance from central Ho Chi Minh City than Tan Son Nhat.

Several connecting transport projects, including the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau and Ben Luc-Long Thanh expressways and an extension of the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line, are scheduled for completion in 2026 to support the new airport.

The handover from Tan Son Nhat will be phased. ACV has proposed gradually transferring international flights from late 2026, with Long Thanh expected to serve as the region’s primary international gateway by 2027.

Tan Son Nhat, currently operating well above its designed capacity during peak hours, will retain domestic flights and some regional traffic.