The test flights were carried out using a Beechcraft King Air 350ER, a specialised aircraft used to test, calibrate and evaluate the accuracy of runway lighting systems, Instrument Landing System (ILS) precision approach systems, navigation lights, landing lights, as well as a number of other information and monitoring equipment.

By the morning of August 1, two test flights had been completed successfully. Both flights departed from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, carried out inspection manoeuvres over the Long Thanh airspace, and returned to land at Tan Son Nhat.

Phase 1 of the Long Thanh International Airport features 68 designated flight procedures. Data gathered during these test flights will be analysed to ensure procedural accuracy and stability prior to the airport’s official operations.

According to VATM, the purpose of the inspection is to assess the feasibility of flight operations, confirm the effectiveness of procedure design, and evaluate the influence of signal interference on the performance of navigation systems.

Construction at the Long Thanh Airport is underway across all core components, with basic completion expected by the end of 2025. A comprehensive calibration flight is scheduled to take place in the fourth quarter of 2025, once the full installation of aviation systems and supporting infrastructure is completed.

Deputy PM orders speeding up construction of Long Thanh int'l airport

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on January 9 urged relevant units to accelerate the progress of sub-projects to complete the Long Thanh International Airport project as soon as possible.