According to Secretary of Dong Nai Party Committee Nguyen Hong Linh, there are five challenges the province will face. These include sourcing qualified workers, completing transport infrastructure and airport urban infrastructure, developing products and services for flight operations, environmental issues and economic security, and tackling high-tech crime.

Roads connecting the airport remain behind schedule, and a planned high-speed rail link and urban railway projects are facing issues in terms of capital and technology, so construction has yet to start.

“If we do not promptly upgrade and expand the transport infrastructure connecting the airport, it will lead to serious problems,” Linh said.

In addition, educational institutions in the province are unable to provide the skilled workforce the airport requires, posing the risk of a lack of trained staff.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Hai Hang, director of the Vietnam Aviation Academy, said that Long Thanh needs a large, skilled workforce, but this cannot be achieved overnight. The lack of specific policies for airport urban development is also a big problem.

In many countries, airport cities often enjoy special incentives, but in Vietnam, legal regulations in this field are still unclear, causing difficulties in management and hindering investment attraction. There is a distinct possibility that the airport could speed up the urbanisation of Dong Nai so rapidly that it spirals out of control, creating security complications.

Take advantage of opportunities for economic development

Assoc. Prof., Dr. Tran Dinh Thien, former director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, said that the southeast region has many advantages, especially Long Thanh, so these issues need to be resolved.

The southeast region attracts the strongest investment in the country and has real potential, but there are many bottlenecks that need to be resolved.

“Tan Son Nhat Internationla Airport in Ho Chi Minh City is overloaded, causing congestion in many areas. Long Than was designed to alleviate this issue, so upgrades to connecting roads are vital,” Thien said.

Vo Tan Duc, Chairman of Dong Nai People's Committee, admitted that after a period of strong growth, Dong Nai is facing many bottlenecks.

However, Duc said he believed that the airport will open a new opportunity to connect the province with the region, the country, and the world.

"Dong Nai will make Long Thanh the centre of its logistics and urban area development. It will become a modern, civilised province, which is why we have implemented planning and construction to maximise the efficiency of the airport,” Duc said.

The region is relying on Cai Mep Port and Long Thanh Airport to drive this growth, and Dong Nai is likely to be the biggest benefactor, but only if the province can take advantage and grab the forecast investment wave, he added.

Long Thanh International Airport is one of the 16 most anticipated airports in the world, aiming to become an international transit centre while creating a new space for Dong Nai to develop.

The airport is designed to handle 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of cargo per year. The entire project is expected to cost about VND336.6 trillion ($16 billion). Phase 1 includes runways, terminals, and auxiliary items capable of handling 25 million passengers per year and scheduled to open in 2026, when it will need more than 13,700 qualified workers from high school to post-grad.

The passenger terminal at Long Thanh International Airport is expected to be finished by August 2026