PM orders strict actions against officials hindering Long Thanh airport project

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 3 stressed that individuals and organisations that have caused obstructions or delays to the Long Thanh International Airport project in the southern province of Dong Nai must be strictly handled in accordance with legal regulations.

After visiting the construction site on the day, the PM had a working session with representatives of ministries, agencies, the project management board, consultants, localities, and other stakeholders, during which he noted that the project, the largest of its kind in Vietnam so far, holds significant importance to the socio-economic development of the Southeast region and the entire country.

The PM acknowledged the progress on the project but pointed out several lingering issues, such as the land clearance rate remaining stagnant at 98.92% since September 2024, and others regarding investment policy approval and investor selection for component projects.

Underscoring the target of basically completing the project by December 31, 2025, Chinh said current construction efforts remain fragmented and uncoordinated, making it hard to meet the deadline. Given this, he urged maximising all available resources, including equipment, machinery, manpower, and materials, to ensure the concerted implementation of all components, while intensifying supervisions and inspections to ensure project quality and safety, as well as residents’ lives.

Chinh demanded the immediate reassignment or suspension of the officials found responsible for obstructions and delays in the implementation. Notably, the sluggishness in constructing the headquarters for animal and plant quarantine agencies and ground service facilities must be explained and a report on this should be submitted to the PM in this month.

The leader suggested the engagement of local subcontractors and forces like police, military, and youth in project items.

Alongside the implementation of the first phase, work should begin immediately on runway 2, striving for breaking ground in early 2025. At the same time, steps should be taken to finalise the design, allocate the funding, and select contractors to begin the second as soon as the first is completed in 2025.

The PM assigned Deputy PM Tran Hong Ha to directly oversee the project, conducting monthly meetings to monitor and expedite its progress. Minister of Transport Tran Hong Minh and relevant agencies will coordinate in performing tasks.

Regarding transportation infrastructure projects, he basically agreed with the proposals from the agencies and urged accelerating the progress of ongoing projects.

The Ministry of Transport was tasked with working on alternative transportation solutions, such as a metro, subway, or high-speed rail, to connect Long Thanh and Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, with a route plan and investment feasibility to be done by the first quarter of 2025.

The Long Thanh airport project has total investment of more than 16 billion USD and is implemented in three phases. The first phase, with an investment of over 5.4 billion USD, features one runway and one passenger terminal, and is capable of serving 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo per year. It is expected to be put into use in 2026.