Completion of PBN inspection flights for Long Thanh International Airport

On 02 August, 2025 VATM successfully completed inspection flights to assess the Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) procedures at Long Thanh International Airport (LTIA). This has marked a critical technical milestone in the preparation for the commercial operation of LTIA, one of the country’s largest aviation infrastructure projects.

Phase 1 of Long Thanh International Airport is designed with a capacity of 25 million passengers per year and is expected to serve as a regional hub. In its role as the unique ANSP of Viet Nam, VATM assigned its subsidiary - the Air Traffic Management Technical Company Limited (ATTECH) to organize the inspection flights, aiming to evaluate the accuracy and safety of the modern flight procedures in accordance with the approved designs.

The inspection flights at Long Thanh International Airport were conducted from 31 July to 2 August 2025, in the context that the airport had yet to commence regular operations. As such, the entire process was meticulously prepared and carried out with close coordination among stakeholders of VATM, ATTECH, Southern Region Air Traffic Services Company (SORATS, VATM), Aviation Meteorological Center (AMC, VATM), Long Thanh International Airport, the Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (CAAV), and relevant military units. The first inspection flight was conducted on the morning of 31 July, 2025, using a King Air 350 calibration aircraft operated by ATTECH. Prior to the flight, related units conducted on-site surveys to assess infrastructure, ground conditions, the positioning of navigation equipment, and other factors affecting safety.

In parallel, detailed plans for airspace organization, flight planning, operational schedules, and contingency scenarios were developed and coordinated with the relevant stakeholders. The inspection flights were executed as scheduled, in full compliance with safety regulations and technical requirements in accordance with international standards.

The results of the inspection flights will serve as the technical foundation for conducting the upcoming trial flight scheduled for 19 December 2025, while also supporting the finalization of aeronautical information publication data in preparation for the official operation of Long Thanh Airport in 2026.

The timely completion of this task plays an important role in ensuring the operational readiness timeline of Long Thanh Airport, a major project to enhance the infrastructure for aviation of Viet Nam.