Lai Xuan Thanh, chairman of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the investor of the Long Thanh International Airport project in southern Vietnam’s Dong Nai Province, has pledged to complete the project as planned and put it into operation by the last quarter of 2026.

Work packages related to the construction of the passenger terminal, runways, and taxiways are a top priority, with the package to build the passenger terminal scheduled to kick off on Saturday, Thanh told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

ACV expected to complete the passenger terminal package within 39 months, and the runways and taxiways within 23 months.

Thanh also shared that the ACV is still handling a complaint by the Hoa Lu consortium, led by Vietnamese construction firm Coteccons, which failed to meet the requirements of the VND35.2 trillion (US$1.5 billion) passenger terminal package.

According to Thanh, the ACV will soon make an official announcement about the winning contractor consortium and the reasoning behind parting ways with other contractor consortiums.

As the bidding process is still underway, related information will be kept secret in line with regulations on bidding, the corporation chairman said, adding that the ACV is confident about the transparency and fairness of choosing the winning consortium.       

The Hoa Lu consortium's complaint will not affect the progress of the project, Thanh noted, adding that the investor will be held accountable before the law and the state for the bidding results.

It is the right of enterprises to file complaints or lawsuits, Thanh said.

To make sure that the winning consortium can ensure the progress of the package, the ACV hired a consulting unit from Japan to supervise the quality and progress of the package.

The ACV will not control separate enterprises in the consortium, but it will be responsible for the process and results of their work.

The main contractor’s selection of subcontractors will be under the supervision of the ACV. It will check the capability of subcontractors and has the right to request that the main contractor give the subcontractors the sack if they fail to meet requirements.

The ACV has employed a legal consulting consortium, including a world-class company and a Vietnamese firm.

The consortium will provide legal consultancy during the contract negotiation and signing as well as the project execution. It will seek consulting on possible issues after the construction of the project, thus ensuring the progress and quality of the package.

Regarding capital for the project, Thanh affirmed that the ACV had already planned capital resources for its projects and only a passenger terminal at Dong Hoi Airport in Quang Binh, located in north-central Vietnam, has been added after the fact.

The ACV’s revenue and profit remained stable despite difficulties during the three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, not to mention bank loans with extended payment deadlines.

The ACV is working with banks to reduce foreign currency loans. It will borrow some $1.7-1.8 billion, far below the initially planned of $2.1 billion.

State-run banks, including BIDV, Vietcombank, and VietinBank, have already pledged such loans for the project, however, the investor voiced its concern over traffic systems connecting the airport.

The ACV has proposed the Ministry of Transport expand the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh Expressway to 10 lanes as it is often congested. If the road is not widened, congestion will worsen once Long Thanh International Airport is put into operation.

The ACV also suggested that Dong Nai Province accelerate the development of two roads leading to the airport and those serving the construction of the airport.

Dong Nai has cleared about 80 percent of the site for a road connected to the airport and 20-30 percent of the site for the other.

Long Thanh International Airport, once completed, will be the largest airport in the nation with an annual capacity of 100 million passengers and five million metric tons of cargo.

The project needs an estimated investment of some VND336.63 trillion ($14.1 billion).

The package to construct and install equipment at the passenger terminal is the largest package of the mammoth airport project, which sits about 40km from Ho Chi Minh City.       

Earlier, the ACV announced that only the Vietur consortium led by Turkey’s IC Holdings met all technical requirements for the package.

The Hoa Lu consortium and the consortium of CHEC-BCEG-Vietnam Contractors, led by China Harbour Engineering, failed to satisfy the criteria.

The Hoa Lu consortium later denounced the Vietur consortium for allegedly violating bidding regulations and failing to fulfill the requirements of the tender package.

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