Phu Quoc airport opens its second runway after an eight-month build

The first landing on Runway 2

Runway 2 is 3,300 metres long and 45 metres wide [6][7][8][11]. It meets the International Civil Aviation Organization's Code E standard [6][7][8][11]. That places it in the class of wide-bodies Vietnam's airlines fly: the Boeing 787, Airbus A350 and Boeing 777 [6][7][11]. Code F aircraft are accepted when required [6][7][11].

The strip carries an instrument landing system with distance measuring equipment, plus Category II approach lighting [7][11]. That equipment supports landings in poor visibility, not only clear weather. The opening followed construction, technical inspections and calibration flights, SGGP and VNA reported [6][8]. Those calibration flights ran on 27 and 28 July [1][4]. A Beechcraft B300 King Air 350ER, registered in the Czech Republic and flown by a joint Vietnamese-Czech crew, made the approaches [1][4]. The aircraft flew approaches to Runway 28R to check the ILS/DME, the approach lighting and the Precision Approach Path Indicator [1][4].

VnExpress reported two further calibration sorties on Runway 2 on 28 July [4]. Three months separated the flight checks from the first paying passenger.

Why the second runway matters now

Runway 2's first job is to stand in for the old runway [7][11].

With Runway 2 operational, the airport will temporarily close Runway 1 for upgrades, Tuoi Tre News and Dantri reported [7][11]. All take-offs and landings will be handled by Runway 2 during roughly six months of construction [11]. That work runs through the 2026-2027 winter schedule, when flight frequencies are expected to rise by around 34 per cent, according to VNA and Dantri [8][11]. Nguyen Ba Quan, director of Phu Quoc International Airport, said Runway 2 would keep operations smooth through that period [8]. Runway 1 is expected to resume operations in May 2027 [11].

For travellers, the effect is a single-runway airport through the winter high season [2]. The facility already handles more traffic than its design allows [2].

Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation said it had completed air navigation preparations [10]. It listed readiness assessments of air traffic control systems, staffing, training and contingency exercises [10].

Eight months, 6,000 workers, 20 contractors

Sun Group coordinated more than 20 contractors and consulting firms [6][8][11].

The developer mobilised more than 6,000 engineers and workers across three shifts and four rotating crews, according to SGGP, VNA and Dantri [6][8][11]. The runway was finished in about eight months [6][7][8]. Aviation expert Trinh Nhu Long called it an unprecedented achievement in the history of Vietnam's aviation infrastructure construction, VnExpress reported [3]. He noted that runways of similar scale at mainland projects such as Long Thanh and Van Don typically take two to three years [3]. Construction also ran while the airport stayed fully operational, VnExpress reported [4].

The airfield work was a job in itself. Nearly 1,500 lights and almost 400 signs had to be set at exact coordinates and elevations [3].

The Category II lighting uses LED technology [3]. Its designed lifespan is about 50,000 hours, according to VnExpress [3]. Engineers measured brightness, colour, beam direction and synchronisation for each lighting cluster after installation [3].

The capacity gap the runway is meant to close

The airport was designed for four million passengers a year. It handles five to six million [2].

Aircraft movements tell the same story: take-offs and landings neared 27,919, an increase of more than 8,500 flights, or almost 44 per cent, VnExpress reported [4]. The first phase of the expansion targets 24 million passengers a year, with capacity potentially reaching 50 million in the longer term [6][8]. Sun Airport JSC is the investor, with VND22 trillion (US$846 million) committed to a project covering 1,050 hectares [4]. The near-term figure has moved in the reporting. VnExpress put capacity at 20 million passengers a year from 2027 in August, while SGGP and VNA now cite 24 million [4][6][8].

Tourism is the demand side. Phu Quoc welcomed more than 8.1 million visitors in 2025, including over 1.8 million international arrivals [5]. An Giang Province targets more than 2.1 million international visitors to the island in 2026 [5]. The island is also preparing to receive delegations from the 21 APEC member economies. The runway is meant to handle official aircraft alongside commercial traffic [1][4][5].

What happens next

Runway 1 will be extended from 3,000 to 3,500 metres [7][8][11]. It will be widened to 75 metres including shoulders [7][8][11].

Once upgraded it can take Code F aircraft including the Boeing 747-8F and Airbus A380-800 [7][8][11]. Tuoi Tre News reported that would put long-haul routes to Europe, the Middle East and Northeast Asia within reach [7]. Terminal 2, designed by Singapore's CPG Consultants, is being built for operation from May 2027 with biometric identification, self-service check-in and automated baggage handling [6][8]. The airport expects to run both runways simultaneously from May 2027 [6][8]. APEC Economic Leaders' Week is scheduled for November 2027 [11].

The runway is one of 21 major infrastructure projects scheduled for the island before the summit [5]. The projects are worth more than VND137 trillion (US$5.2 billion) [5].

Whether both runways are genuinely in simultaneous service that month depends on the Runway 1 works finishing on time. The airport has not given a firmer date than May 2027 [6][8][11].