The project aims to relieve chronic congestion at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat airport and improve regional connectivity. (AFP pic)

HO CHI MINH CITY: Vietnam’s new Long Thanh International Airport faces significant challenges to meet its December opening deadline, prompting the government to order round-the-clock construction to get the project completed on time.

The flagship project, which is intended to relieve chronic congestion at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat airport, is experiencing labour and material shortages, payment delays and rising costs, according to a government statement. The first phase of the 336.63 trillion dong (US$13 billion) project must be put into operation this year, it said.