At exactly 6:09 a.m. on September 26, the specialised Beechcraft KingAir 300 series aircraft took off from Tan Son Nhat Airport, approached Runway No. 1 at Long Thanh Airport, and taxied along the runway to check the lighting system before accelerating and climbing back into the sky.
The flight aimed to conduct on-site checks of the runway and calibrate the navigation and air traffic surveillance systems at Long Thanh Airport.
According to the plan approved by the Operations Department (General Staff of the Viet Nam People’s Army), calibration work at Long Thanh will last from September 26 to October 24.
The Beechcraft KingAir 300 series was selected for its manoeuvrability and ability to meet strict technical requirements. It is widely used in many countries for calibration activities.
The entire calibration process is being carried out by the Flight Management Engineering Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Viet Nam Air Traffic Management Corporation, with the participation of experienced experts and international specialists from the Air Navigation Institute of the Czech Republic.
Calibration flights will be conducted both day and night, under various conditions, to comprehensively evaluate the accuracy and stability of the aviation systems.
Long Thanh Airport is being built on more than 5,000 hectares in Long Thanh Commune, Dong Nai Province.
The project has an estimated total investment of more than 16 billion USD, divided into three phases. Phase 1, valued at over 5.4 billion USD, is designed to handle 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo per year.
Upon completion of all phases, Long Thanh Airport will have a capacity of up to 100 million passengers per year, becoming the country’s largest airport, serving as a regional transit hub in Southeast Asia and competing with major airports around the world.
According to the Prime Minister’s directive, the entire Phase 1 of the Long Thanh Airport project must be essentially completed by December 19, 2025, and put into operation in the first half of 2026.
