HCMC – The Ministry of Transport has told the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) to set new criteria on costs and completion schedule to select qualified and experienced contractors for the Long Thanh airport terminal project.

The ministry’s move came after a was made by the Vietnam Association of Construction Contractors (VACC), the local media reported. A recent tender for the construction and equipment installation package for the terminal was canceled.

ACV was told to study recommendations from the association to build the international airport in line with the prevailing regulations on construction and bidding.

In late December last year, VACC Chairman Nguyen Quoc Hiep said that the Long Thanh International Airport is a major project, so it requires high quality and fast pace of construction.

According to the association, the inappropriateness of the criteria of the bidding package, methods of contractor selection and estimated cost has deterred foreign investors from getting involved in the project.

The 33-month completion schedule for the package is far from achievable.

Local contractors are not qualified enough to implement such a huge project, so it is necessary to have a consortium of foreign and local construction contractors, said VACC.

In mid-December 2022, a tender for the construction package was canceled, two months after an announcement on the launch of the tender was released, as no contractors met the criteria.

The package worth over VND35.2 trillion has the highest value among the terminal packages. The airport project was originally planned to get off the ground in late 2022 but it did not materialize as no contractors were selected.

The first phase of the Long Thanh airport project will require over VND109 trillion and have an annual capacity of 25 million passengers. The airport is planned for opening on September 2, 2025.