Dong Nai (VNA) – The southern province of Dong Nai, boasting huge potential for the development of sustainable industrial economy, aviation economy, logistics, and modern services, is poised to become a hub for green finance and innovative economy in the country and the region, according to economists.
New momentum for urban growth
In this process, Long Thanh International Airport will serve as the primary driving force, opening new horizons for service, logistics, and trade development.
Covering 5,000 hectares, the airport is designed to handle 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of cargo annually. With a total investment of 336 trillion VND (13 billion USD), the airport will be built in three phases.
The first phase is scheduled for completion by 2026. One runway, a passenger terminal, and supporting facilities will be built during this phase, with a capacity of 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo per year. In the second phase, the capacity will be increased to 50 million passengers and 1.5 million tonnes of cargo by 2035. In the third phase, the airport will reach its full designed capacity of 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of cargo by 2050.
Together with the airport construction, Dong Nai is rushing off its feet to develop an airport-adjacent urban area and a free trade zone, with Long Thanh at their core, to shape up a modern service – logistics centre.
At his eighth inspection of the project, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh demanded relevant sides speed up progress so that Long Thanh welcomes the first flight on December 19, 2025 and becomes commercially operational from early 2026.
According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Kim Chung from the Party Central Committee’s Theory Council, Long Thanh Airport will create profound economic spillovers. Beyond the massive investment inflows, it will strengthen regional infrastructure connectivity, foster integrated service-urban centres, and drive urban economic growth, providing Dong Nai with the momentum to “take off” in the coming time.
Global aviation analytics firm OAG forecasts that Long Thanh International Airport in southern Vietnam could become one of Asia’s mega airports. In a recent blog post titled '100 million club: The rise of mega airports' on its website, OAG highlighted the growing influence of emerging airports across Asia.
Currently, there are only five airports worldwide that handle over 100 million passengers per year. These include Atlanta and Dallas/Fort Worth in the US, Dubai in the UAE, Tokyo Haneda in Japan, and London Heathrow in the UK.
Harmonious infrastructure development
A draft political report submitted to the Party Congress of Dong Nai province for the 2025–2030 period identifies several key measures that prioritises reforming the growth model and accelerating industrialisation and modernsation while seeing science – technology, innovation, digital transformation, green transition, circular economy, and sharing economy as main impulses.
It highlights Long Thanh International Airport, Phuoc An seaport, Hoa Lu border gate economic zone, and inland container depots as strategic gateways to turn Dong Nai into a national hub for production, services, logistics, and export.
Dong Nai has determined to focus on developing services as an important economic sector of the province, especially value-added ones such as trade, transport, logistics, tourism, finance, banking, and insurance services. It aims to establish major commercial centres, particularly the Long Thanh free trade zone linked to the new airport.
The province will continue restructuring its service sector based on science – technology, innovation, and digital transformation while maximising the airport and Phuoc An port to bolster trade, industrial production, and passenger transport.
Dr. Tran Du Lich, former Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Economics and a member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Group, said that Dong Nai should fully leverage its geoeconomic advantages within the Southern Key Economic Region. He suggested the province strive for breakthrough growth, targeting average GRDP expansion of double digits from 2026 to 2035 and around 8–9% annually in the subsequent decade.
Lich stressed that Dong Nai should take the lead in green economic development during industrialisation and green urbanisation processes, highlighting the role of integrated logistics services along the industrial – service – urban corridor from Hoa Lu Border Gate to Long Thanh Airport and Phuoc An Port.
He also recommended the province issue policies to lure both domestic and foreign experts and scientists to make breakthroughs in science – technology, innovation, and high-quality human resources development./.
