ACV's Long Thanh Airport Sets 25 USD International Fee, Effective October 1, 2026

Overview

Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction has set passenger service fees for Long Thanh International Airport at 25 USD per international passenger and 90,909 VND per domestic passenger, effective for tickets sold from October 1, 2026. The airport is being developed by Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the UPCOM-listed operator of the country’s major airports, with phase 1 investment of nearly 110 trillion VND. The fee schedule provides the first concrete pricing signal for the flagship project ahead of its expected commercial launch in December 2026.

Key Facts

• International passenger service fee at Long Thanh: 25 USD per person, excluding VAT.
• Domestic passenger service fee at Long Thanh: 90,909 VND per person, excluding VAT.
• The international fee is 5 USD, or 25%, higher than Tan Son Nhat and equal to Noi Bai.
• The domestic fee matches the level currently applied at Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai.
• Fees apply to tickets sold from 0:00 on October 1, 2026, local time where the ticket is issued.
• Passengers originally ticketed from Tan Son Nhat whose flights are moved to Long Thanh pay the Tan Son Nhat fee and no surcharge.
• Long Thanh occupies about 5,000 hectares in Dong Nai province; phase 1 is designed for 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo annually.
• ACV is the investor in essential works including the passenger terminal and airfield, with phase 1 investment of nearly 110,000 billion VND.

What Happened

According to Decision 1679/QD-BXD dated September 29, issued by the Ministry of Construction, passenger service fees at Long Thanh International Airport will be 90,909 VND per person for domestic flights and 25 USD per person for international flights, both excluding value-added tax. The decision takes effect on October 1, 2026, and applies to tickets sold from 0:00 that day, calculated by the local time at the point of sale. The ministry noted this is the date the fare applies, not the date the airport begins receiving passengers.

The decision also addresses flights originally ticketed from Tan Son Nhat that are later shifted to Long Thanh: the passenger service fee remains at the Tan Son Nhat rate in effect at the time of ticketing, and passengers do not pay the difference arising from the change of departure airport. Long Thanh is under construction in Dong Nai province on roughly 5,000 hectares. Phase 1 is designed to serve 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo per year, with ACV as the investor in essential facilities including the passenger terminal and airfield. Total phase 1 investment is nearly 110,000 billion VND, and commercial operations are expected in December 2026.

Market Context

ACV trades on UPCOM, Vietnam’s unlisted public company market, and closed at 39,100 VND on September 29, 2026, the same day the fee decision was issued. The company operates the country’s largest airport network, including Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai, and Long Thanh is its single largest capital project. The fee schedule arrives as Vietnam’s aviation sector prepares for a capacity step-change in the south, with Long Thanh intended to relieve congestion at Tan Son Nhat. The international fee premium over Tan Son Nhat is notable because it positions Long Thanh at the same level as Noi Bai, the northern gateway, rather than at a discount to attract carriers.

Strategic Significance

For long-term investors, the decision matters less for the headline fee level than for what it signals about the project’s revenue architecture. Passenger service charges are a core, recurring revenue line for airport operators, and a 25 USD international fee at a facility designed for 25 million annual passengers implies a substantial fee pool once ramp-up is complete. The 25% premium over Tan Son Nhat also suggests the ministry is willing to let Long Thanh price at the top of the domestic airport range, which supports ACV’s return profile on a project with nearly 110,000 billion VND of phase 1 capital outlay. The transition rule protecting passengers whose flights move from Tan Son Nhat reduces the risk of airline and passenger friction during the shift, smoothing the operational handover that will determine how quickly Long Thanh reaches meaningful utilization.

What to Watch

• Confirmation of Long Thanh’s commercial launch date, currently expected in December 2026.
• ACV’s disclosures on phase 1 completion, trial operations, and capital expenditure progress.
• Airline schedules and slot allocations at Long Thanh, which will indicate the pace of the transfer from Tan Son Nhat.
• Any further Ministry of Construction decisions on airport fees or adjustments to the Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai schedules.
• ACV’s quarterly results for passenger volumes and service revenue trends across its airport network.