Long Thanh Airport Phase 1 Mandated for 2026: ACV Ordered to Accelerate 24/7
This Aveluro analysis covers ACV on UPCOM in the Industrial Goods & Services sector. The classified event type is macro policy, with positive sentiment and a deterministic market-impact score of 8.0/10. Aveluro classifies this story as a positive catalyst in the stock's news coverage. Source coverage came from Tuổi Trẻ - Kinh doanh, classified as a primary/top-tier source.
Key Facts
Caveat: Not investment advice. · How Aveluro computed this: Aveluro combines extracted event facts, source credibility, ticker context, and market data. Scores are deterministic research signals, not recommendations.
Overview
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc has designated completion and commercial operation of Long Thanh International Airport phase 1 in 2026 as a mandatory task, ordering Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) to shift to round-the-clock construction on critical-path packages. The directive, issued after an on-site inspection and formalized in a Government Office conclusion notice dated October 7, places ACV at the center of Vietnam’s largest ongoing infrastructure project and raises the prospect of contract penalties for underperforming contractors.
Key Facts
- Phase 1 of Long Thanh International Airport must be completed and operational within 2026, per the investment policy approved by the National Assembly.
- ACV must submit a detailed progress report to the Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Finance and related agencies before October 10.
- Contractors are directed to mobilize maximum personnel and equipment and to organize three shifts and four crews (3 ca 4 kíp) with additional work fronts.
- The Deputy PM authorized handling of contract violations under law where contractors fail to meet staffing, equipment, financial or schedule requirements.
- ACV and contractors must agree on solutions to resolve payment bottlenecks, with ACV’s chairman and general director empowered to settle issues within their authority.
- Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai authorities are tasked with clearing land, materials, power, water and technical infrastructure issues within October.
- ACV closed at VND 40,900 on October 7, 2026, on UPCOM.
What Happened
The Government Office issued a conclusion notice on October 7 summarizing Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc’s remarks at a site inspection of the Long Thanh International Airport project and connecting road routes through Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province. According to the notice, the project faces significant difficulties, with several contractors and packages showing very slow progress and “almost no movement.” The Deputy PM described the remaining workload as large and the remaining time as limited, calling the 2026 target a mandatory task that is heavy and full of challenges.
ACV was instructed to immediately review all remaining work volumes, particularly on critical-path packages, and to build a detailed schedule for each component. The directive requires ACV to define which items will be completed for commercial operation, the trial-run date, the commercial operation date, and the full completion timeline. Contractors that fail to meet requirements on labor, equipment, finance and schedule are to be handled firmly, with contract violations processed under law if necessary. The notice also assigns the Ministry of Construction as the continuing lead agency for monitoring and urging progress.
Market Context
ACV trades on UPCOM, Vietnam’s unlisted public company market, and closed at VND 40,900 on October 7, 2026. As the state-owned operator of Vietnam’s airport network and the investor in Long Thanh, ACV is directly exposed to the project’s schedule and cost outcomes. The directive comes amid a broader national push on public infrastructure execution, with the government applying administrative pressure and deadline discipline to large transport projects. The article does not provide ACV’s recent price performance, trading volume, or valuation metrics, so the immediate market reaction cannot be assessed from the source.
Strategic Significance
Long Thanh is the anchor of Vietnam’s long-term aviation capacity plan, intended to relieve Tan Son Nhat International Airport and support growth in passenger and cargo traffic through the southeast region. For ACV, the 2026 deadline compresses capital deployment and construction risk into a short window, while the threat of contract penalties signals that the state will prioritize schedule over contractor accommodation. If phase 1 opens on time, ACV gains a new revenue-generating asset and strengthens its position as the dominant airport operator; delays would defer that revenue and could increase financing costs. The payment-resolution instruction also matters, since contractor liquidity has been a recurring constraint on Vietnamese mega-projects.
What to Watch
- ACV’s progress report to the Ministry of Construction and Ministry of Finance, due before October 10.
- Announcement of the trial-run date and the commercial operation date for phase 1.
- Any formal contract violation proceedings against slow contractors.
- Resolution of land clearance, materials, power and water issues by Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai within October.
- ACV disclosures on capital needs, funding sources and any revised project cost estimates.