Vietnam Airlines invests $69 mln in 2 projects at Long Thanh airport

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on Sunday kicked off construction on an in-flight catering facility and an aircraft maintenance complex at the under-construction Long Thanh International Airport in southern Vietnam, with a total investment of nearly VND1.8 trillion ($69 million).

Both projects are parts of Component No. 4 - Aviation Services Zone of the airport, located in Dong Nai province.

The in-flight catering project will be implemented by Vietnam Air Caterers (VACS), a subsidiary of Vietnam Airlines. In its initial phase, the facility will have a capacity of 20,000 meals per day, with the potential to scale up to 40,000. In addition to serving the national flag carrier, VACS aims to provide catering services to other domestic and international airlines.

The aircraft maintenance project will be carried out by another subsidiary, Vietnam Airlines Engineering Company (VAECO), on an area of over 45,000 square meters, with an investment exceeding VND1.1 trillion ($42.2 million).

The complex will be capable of simultaneously servicing two wide-body aircraft and two narrow-body planes. Designed with a minimum annual maintenance capacity of 250,000 man-hours, the facility is expected to handle 120-150 aircraft maintenance cases per year.

Previously, another Vietnam Airlines subsidiary – Vietnam Airport Ground Services Company Limited (VIAGS) – had commenced a project to maintain ground support equipment at Long Thanh airport.

Vietnam Airlines currently operates a comprehensive aviation services ecosystem with established hubs at Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, and Da Nang airports - with Long Thanh set to become the next major center.

VACS currently provides around 10 million meals per year to more than 58 international and domestic airlines, while VAECO maintains a nationwide technical network that meets U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards, aiming to become a leading aircraft maintenance and repair center in the region.

Long Thanh airport, about 40 kilometers east of Ho Chi Minh City, is a mega project with a total investment of VND336.63 trillion ($14.12 billion) that will be built in three phases.

The first phase, scheduled for completion by the end of 2006, will feature the construction of two runways in the northern area and one passenger terminal, along with supporting infrastructure, to accommodate 25 million passengers per year and handle 1.2 million tons of cargo annually, according to a resolution newly approved by the legislature.

The 5,000-hectare airport is set to welcome the first plane to make landing or take off in July 2025.

Once fully completed, it will be the nation’s biggest, helping reduce overload at HCMC-based Tan Son Nhat International Airport.