Ho Chi Minh City plans to launch bus routes for passengers traveling to Long Thanh airport

The city will open seven bus routes connecting key areas to Long Thanh airport, aiming to facilitate passengers when the airport begins operations in June.

Ho Chi Minh City is preparing to launch seven bus routes connecting various key areas to Long Thanh airport, aiming to facilitate passenger travel when the national key project begins commercial operations in June. This initiative, researched by the Public Transport Management Center under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, seeks to provide additional travel options and reduce costs for passengers. The Long Thanh airport, covering an area of about 5,000 ha with a total investment of nearly 337,000 billion VND, saw some phase 1 items completed in late 2025 and is slated for operation from 6/2026.

Pham Ngoc Dung, Director of the Public Transport Management Center, detailed the proposed plan, which includes seven bus routes connecting to Long Thanh airport. Three routes will originate from the former Ho Chi Minh City area, two from the former Binh Duong province, and two from the former Ba Ria – Vung Tau province.

Construction site of Long Thanh airport. *Quynh Tran*.

Within the former Ho Chi Minh City area, the three proposed starting points are strategically located at major transport hubs: Tan Son Nhat airport, the new Mien Dong bus station, and Saigon bus station. This arrangement is designed to offer passengers convenient transfers from multiple directions.

Ho Chi Minh City will collaborate with Dong Nai province to finalize specific plans. This includes determining vehicle types and the method for selecting operating units, either through direct order or competitive bidding. Route itineraries will prioritize expressways to ensure shorter travel times.

Infrastructure components essential for bus and public transport services around Long Thanh airport are already in preparation. With the airport scheduled to commence operations in June, the bus connectivity is expected to be fully ready.

Currently, connectivity to the Long Thanh airport area is limited, primarily relying on the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay expressway and National Highway 1, 51. While the airport is forecast to mainly serve travel demand from Ho Chi Minh City in its initial phase, enhancing transport links is crucial. Therefore, in addition to expanding the existing expressway, projects such as the Ben Thanh – Thu Thiem metro and the Thu Thiem – Long Thanh railway are being accelerated for investment.