Consortium proposes $2.48 bln metro line linking HCMC to Long Thanh airport

A consortium led by multi-sector firm DonaCoop and VinaCapital has proposed a VND65 trillion ($2.48 billion) metro line connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Long Thanh International Airport in the neighboring province of Dong Nai.

The project aims to "maximize the operational effectiveness" of Vietnam's largest airport, which is now under construction.

According to the proposal, recently submitted to the Dong Nai People's Committee, the project would extend the existing Metro Line No. 1 from Suoi Tien Station in HCMC to Dong Nai's new administrative center in Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park, spanning 6.5 kilometers. From there, the line would run another 27 km to Long Thanh airport.

An additional 5 km extension is planned to reach the downtown area of former Bien Hoa town from the new provincial center, bringing the total proposed length to nearly 40 km.

The project, entirely funded by private capital from the consortium and its partners, will be built under the public-private partnership (PPP) model using a build-transfer (BT) contract.

The estimated timeline for implementation is four to six years after site handover.

The consortium said it has already conducted preliminary surveys in coordination with Dong Nai’s relevant departments. It is also exploring transit-oriented development (TOD) models and working with both domestic and international consulting firms with metro development expertise.

The consortium and partners will be responsible for technical design and construction, while the government would take on compensation and land clearance in accordance with existing regulations, it added.

Dong Nai authorities have previously expressed support for extending Metro Line No. 1 (Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien) in HCMC to the province’s new administrative center, with branches into former Bien Hoa town’s center and to Long Thanh airport.

In addition to the above project, the province is also planning a 21 km metro line from Suoi Tien to its Ho Nai ward, with an estimated cost of VND30 trillion ($1.14 billion), to be funded by central and local government budgets, ODA loans, or local bonds.

Located about 40 km east of HCMC, Long Thanh International Airport is Vietnam’s biggest aviation infrastructure project to date, with a total investment of VND336.63 trillion ($14.12 billion). The airport is being developed in three phases.

The first phase, nearing completion and slated for opening next year, includes one runway, a passenger terminal, and auxiliary facilities designed to serve 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo annually.

Phase 2, scheduled by 2035, will expand capacity to 50 million passengers and 1.5 million tons of cargo by adding a second runway and terminal.

In the final phase, Long Thanh is expected to reach full operational capacity of 100 million passengers and five million tons of cargo per year by 2050.

Once completed, the 5,000-hectare airport will help ease congestion at HCMC's Tan Son Nhat International Airport, which currently operates beyond its 25-million-passenger capacity.

Long Thanh International Airport is expected to join global mega airports capable of handling at least 100 million passenger arrivals annually by the next decade, said a report by UK-based aviation analytics firm OAG.

OAG lists Long Thanh alongside five other major Asian airports expected to join the elite 100-million-passenger club: Singapore’s Changi Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, South Korea’s Incheon International Airport, and the upcoming New Manila International Airport in the Philippines.

DonaCoop is a multi-sector corporation based in Dong Nai, specializing in urban development, infrastructure construction, agriculture, husbandry, and mineral extraction, with notable projects including Long Hung Urban Area and Vinh Hang Park.

Founded in 2003, VinaCapital is one of Vietnam’s leading investment and asset management groups, managing a range of open-ended funds, ETFs, discretionary portfolios, and domestic investment vehicles serving both local and international investors.