Long Thanh Airport Fees: ACV Sets USD 25 International Passenger Charge

Overview

Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction has issued the passenger service fee schedule for Long Thanh International Airport, the country’s largest greenfield airport project and the centrepiece of operator ACV’s (UPCOM) medium-term growth plan. Domestic passengers will pay VND 90,909 per person and international passengers USD 25, excluding value-added tax, for tickets issued from 00:00 on October 1. The international rate is USD 5, or 25%, higher than Tan Son Nhat but equal to Noi Bai, and the separate schedule is one of the final preparatory steps before Long Thanh enters commercial operation.

Key Facts

• Domestic passenger service fee at Long Thanh: VND 90,909 per passenger, excluding VAT.
• International passenger service fee at Long Thanh: USD 25 per passenger, excluding VAT.
• Fees apply to tickets issued from 00:00 on October 1, calculated in the local time of the ticketing location.
• The international fee is USD 5 (25%) higher than Tan Son Nhat and equal to Noi Bai.
• The domestic fee matches the levels currently applied at both Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai.
• Passengers who bought tickets departing from Tan Son Nhat and are later moved to Long Thanh keep the Tan Son Nhat fee at the time of ticketing; any difference is neither collected nor refunded.
• ACV leadership has committed to bringing Long Thanh Phase 1 into operation by the end of December 2026.

What Happened

The Ministry of Construction published the decision setting passenger service prices at Long Thanh International Airport, according to the ministry’s announcement. Under the schedule, domestic travellers pay VND 90,909 per person and international travellers pay USD 25 per person, both before value-added tax. The rates take effect for tickets issued from 00:00 on October 1, measured by local time at the point of sale.

The decision also creates a carve-out for passengers who already hold tickets originating at Tan Son Nhat but are subsequently transferred to Long Thanh as part of the authorities’ plan to develop the air transport market. Those passengers continue to pay the Tan Son Nhat fee applicable when the ticket was issued, and the difference arising from the airport change is neither charged nor refunded. The ministry framed the standalone fee schedule as one of the preparatory steps for the new airport’s commercial operating phase. ACV, formally Tổng công ty Cảng hàng không Việt Nam, is preparing Long Thanh to absorb part of Tan Son Nhat’s traffic, including international routes and cargo operations.

Market Context

ACV trades on UPCOM, Vietnam’s unlisted public company market, and closed at VND 39,100 on 29 September 2026. As the state-owned operator of the country’s major airports, ACV’s revenue is tied to passenger volumes and the regulated fees it collects, so the Long Thanh schedule is a direct input into the earnings profile of the new asset. The decision lands as Vietnam’s aviation sector prepares for capacity expansion, with Long Thanh positioned to relieve congestion at Tan Son Nhat, the country’s busiest airport, and to support international and cargo traffic growth.

Strategic Significance

For long-term investors, the fee schedule matters less for its headline level than for what it reveals about the revenue architecture of Long Thanh. By pricing international passengers at parity with Noi Bai rather than at the lower Tan Son Nhat rate, the ministry gives ACV a higher-yield fee base at its newest and most capital-intensive asset, which supports the case that Phase 1 can be cash-generative from the start. The transfer mechanism for passengers moved from Tan Son Nhat removes a potential source of disputes and revenue leakage during the transition period, when airlines will operate across two airports in the same metropolitan area. The key competitive dynamic is whether airlines and passengers accept Long Thanh’s premium over Tan Son Nhat, or whether carriers shift capacity toward the cheaper airport.

What to Watch

• Confirmation of Long Thanh Phase 1 commercial operations, targeted by ACV for the end of December 2026.
• Airline route and slot announcements indicating how much international and cargo traffic moves from Tan Son Nhat.
• ACV’s next financial disclosure for passenger volume and airport service revenue trends.
• Any adjustment to the fee schedule or the Tan Son Nhat transfer mechanism after the October 1 effective date.
• Progress on remaining Long Thanh infrastructure and any revised capital expenditure guidance from ACV.