Vietnam urges Turkish contractor to speed up mega Long Thanh airport's terminal construction

Türkiye-based IC ICTAS, the lead contractor of the passenger terminal within the under-construction Long Thanh International Airport, should speed up the construction of the package, said Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha.

At a Monday meeting, Ha said the construction would bring about economic benefits, become a symbol of Vietnam-Türkiye partnership, and boost bilateral trade-investment ties. "The passenger terminal is the “heart” of the airport."

The Deputy Prime Minister also urged the Vietnamese side, including ministries, agencies, and the Vietnamese businesses in the contractor consortium, to work with IC ICTAS in March regarding details of the pacier construction.

Besides, Ha called on IC ICTAS to join more projects in Vietnam.

In reply, Reha Denemec, vice chairman of IC ICTAS, said the firm is willing to speed up the project. IC ICTAS also seeks to join other sub-projects of Long Thanh airport, he noted.

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 is scheduled to complete in late 2026.

The project is set to welcome the first plane to make landing or take off in July 2025.

Once fully completed, the 5,000-hectare airport will be the nation’s biggest, helping reduce overload at the HCMC-based Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

In August 2023, IC ICTAS, which led a consortium including nine Vietnamese firms, won a contract to build the $1.44 billion passenger terminal of Long Thanh airport.