Vietjet Marks Major Milestones with First Flight and Hangar Topping Out at Long Thanh International Airport

Vietjet Air has officially marked its presence at the new Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province, Vietnam, achieving two significant operational milestones on December 19, 2025. According to the airline, it successfully topped out its new aircraft maintenance hangar and operated its inaugural flight to the facility, signaling a major step forward in its expansion strategy.

The events coincided with the broader “technical opening” of Long Thanh International Airport, a massive infrastructure project designed to alleviate congestion at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Vietjet’s participation highlights its intent to anchor its future long-haul and wide-body operations at this new hub.

New $100 Million Maintenance Facility

A central component of Vietjet’s announcement is the rapid progress of its new maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) center. The airline confirmed that the main structure of the hangar was completed in just four months, despite reports of challenging weather conditions in Southern Vietnam during the construction period.

According to official company data, the facility represents an investment of up to $100 million and covers an area of 8.4 hectares. The hangar is designed to support Vietjet’s growing fleet complexity, with the capacity to accommodate multiple aircraft configurations simultaneously.

Capacity and Construction Partners

Vietjet states that the hangar is engineered to house:

• Up to 10 narrow-body aircraft (such as the Airbus A320/A321 series) at once; or
• A mixed configuration of 6 narrow-body and 2 wide-body aircraft (such as the Airbus A330).

To ensure the facility meets international standards, Vietjet partnered with global engineering firms for the project. The design and supervision were handled by Mace (UK) and Apave (France). The airline emphasizes that this infrastructure will allow it to perform heavy maintenance (“C-checks”) in-house, reducing reliance on overseas MRO providers and improving fleet reliability.

Inaugural Flight VJ038 and Airport Readiness

Alongside the construction milestone, Vietjet operated flight VJ038, the first flight to land at the new airport infrastructure. The flight, utilizing an Airbus A321neo, departed from Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) and landed at Long Thanh (LTH).

This operation was not a commercial passenger service but a ceremonial flight carrying government officials and aviation leaders to validate the airport’s technical readiness. It was part of a coordinated effort involving other national carriers to demonstrate the operational capabilities of Phase 1 of the airport project.

“The event marks a turning point in Vietjet’s development… preparing for a new stage of growth with a modern fleet and global flight network.”

, Vietjet Air statement regarding the milestone.

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While the technical opening has occurred, full commercial passenger services at Long Thanh are projected to commence in mid-2026. The government plans for the airport to eventually handle up to 100 million passengers annually upon full completion, serving as a primary gateway for long-haul international traffic.

AirPro News analysis

The completion of the hangar structure and the successful technical flight suggest a strategic pivot for Vietjet, moving from a purely low-cost regional model toward a more vertically integrated international operation. By investing $100 million in MRO capabilities, the airline is addressing one of the most significant cost centers for expanding carriers: maintenance outsourcing.

We observe that this infrastructure is specifically timed to support Vietjet’s order of 20 Airbus A330neo aircraft. Without domestic wide-body maintenance capacity, the operational costs of running long-haul routes to Australia, India, and potentially Europe would be significantly higher. This facility grants Vietjet the autonomy to manage its own technical schedule, a critical factor for maintaining on-time performance as it scales up operations at a new, unproven hub.

Furthermore, the speed of construction, topping out in four months, demonstrates the high priority the airline and its partners have placed on establishing a foothold at Long Thanh before the mid-2026 commercial launch. This early presence likely positions Vietjet to secure favorable slot allocations and operational dominance at the new airport from day one.

Sources

Sources: Vietjet Air