ACV Ordered to Apply Fixed Long Thanh Airport Passenger Fees from October 2026

Overview

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (Cục Hàng không Việt Nam) has directed Tổng công ty Cảng hàng không Việt Nam (ACV), Tổng công ty Quản lý bay Việt Nam (VATM) and operating airlines to apply the regulated passenger service fees at Long Thanh International Airport exactly as issued by the Ministry of Construction. The instruction fixes the fee schedule ahead of the airport’s expected commercial launch and removes pricing discretion from operators and carriers serving the new gateway.

Key Facts

• Domestic passenger service fee at Long Thanh: VND 90,909 per passenger, excluding value-added tax.
• International passenger service fee at Long Thanh: USD 25 per passenger, excluding value-added tax.
• Both rates apply to tickets issued from 00:00 local time on 1 October 2026, calculated by the local time at the point of ticketing.
• The fee schedule was set by a decision of the Ministry of Construction (Bộ Xây dựng).
• VATM must update the Long Thanh passenger service fees in the Vietnam aeronautical information publication.
• Vietnam Airlines is designated as the focal point for notifying and updating IATA and global distribution systems on the applicable rates.
• ACV must communicate the rules to airlines operating flights to and from Vietnam to ensure uniform application.
• Passengers holding tickets issued with Tân Sơn Nhất as the point of origin who are later moved to Long Thanh will be charged the Tân Sơn Nhất rate in effect at ticketing; no additional payment or refund of the difference applies.
• Long Thanh International Airport is expected to begin commercial operations in December 2026.

What Happened

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam issued the directive to ACV, VATM and airlines, requiring consistent application of the passenger service fees approved for Long Thanh International Airport. Under the arrangement, VATM is responsible for updating the fee levels in Vietnam’s aeronautical information publication, while Vietnam Airlines is tasked with acting as the focal point for informing IATA and global distribution systems about the rates in force at the airport. ACV is required to relay the regulation to all carriers operating routes into and out of Vietnam so that a single, uniform price is applied.

The fee levels themselves were established earlier by a decision of the Ministry of Construction. For tickets issued from 00:00 local time on 1 October 2026, the domestic passenger service fee is VND 90,909 per passenger and the international fee is USD 25 per passenger, both exclusive of VAT. The directive also addresses a transitional scenario: passengers who already hold tickets originating from Tân Sơn Nhất but are subsequently shifted to Long Thanh as part of air transport market development measures will be charged the Tân Sơn Nhất rate applicable at the time of ticketing, with no surcharge or refund of any difference arising from the change of departure point.

Market Context

ACV, the state-owned airport operator listed on UPCOM, closed at VND 39,200 on 2 October 2026. The company is the primary listed exposure to Vietnam’s airport infrastructure build-out, and Long Thanh is the largest single asset in that pipeline. The directive is administrative in nature, confirming the fee framework rather than altering it, so it does not change the revenue parameters already set by the Ministry of Construction decision. For the wider Vietnamese market, the instruction is part of the operational groundwork for bringing Long Thanh into service, a project closely tied to the aviation and infrastructure sectors on HOSE and UPCOM.

Strategic Significance

For long-term investors, the key point is that Long Thanh’s passenger fee structure is now fixed and being pushed through the distribution chain well before the airport opens. Locking the rates into the aeronautical information publication and IATA systems reduces the risk of inconsistent pricing or disputes when commercial flights begin, which matters for ACV because passenger service charges are a core, relatively predictable revenue line at a new airport. The transitional rule protecting passengers moved from Tân Sơn Nhất removes a potential source of friction during the ramp-up phase, when traffic may be shifted between the two Hồ Chí Minh City-area airports. The directive does not, however, disclose projected passenger volumes, revenue accruing to ACV, or the capital structure of the Long Thanh operation.

What to Watch

• Confirmation that the fee levels have been entered into the Vietnam aeronautical information publication and IATA systems.
• The start of commercial operations at Long Thanh, currently expected in December 2026.
• Any further Ministry of Construction or Civil Aviation Authority guidance on fee adjustments or transitional arrangements.
• ACV disclosures on Long Thanh capital expenditure, ownership structure and revenue recognition.
• Initial traffic data for Long Thanh and any reallocation of flights from Tân Sơn Nhất.