The airport's first phase, divided into four projects, is progressing as planned, it said in a report to the National Assembly.

The first project, involving the construction of some government buildings, is being planned by various ministries. Its preparation phase will take 6-12 months, construction will take 24, and it will be finished before 2025.

For the second project, the construction of buildings for traffic control, the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation is looking for contractors and expects to identify them by the end of this year.

The third, the construction of more key structures, requires the removal of unexploded ordnance in the area, which is also expected to be completed this year.

The structures include a fence around the 5,000-ha airport, which is now more than 70 percent complete and will be finished by December.

The backfilling of terminal and hangar space dug up for drainage purposes is expected to begin in November, and construction of the terminals will begin in February next year.

Work on other structures is expected to begin in the first quarter.

For the fourth project, the construction of miscellaneous structures like aircraft cleaning and maintenance areas and operation centers, authorities are expected to sign up contractors next year.

The government has said construction of the airport should be completed in the first half of 2025, and it would become operational by the end of that year.

Long Thanh Airport will have an annual capacity of 100 million passengers and five million tons of cargo.

It has been budgeted to cost VND336.63 trillion ($16.06 billion at 2014 exchange rates).