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Within less than a year, Van Don Economic Zone has attracted large-scale private investment. In December 2025, Sun Group broke ground on a luxury travel and entertainment resort complex (casino) valued at over 2 billion USD. On June 16, 2026, the group announced a partnership with three global companies—HAECO, Japan Airlines, and Toyota Tsusho—to invest in a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) complex with a planned scale of 360 million USD.
The MRO project is positioned as a strategic move requiring significant resources and long-term execution capacity from the private sector. The investment also reflects Sun Group’s approach to building a development ecosystem by combining two high value-added sectors at the same site, creating potential for both Van Don and Quang Ninh more broadly.
In the global aviation value chain, MRO is among the most profitable segments, with aftersales services adding additional value. Market research cited from Mordor Intelligence projects the global MRO market to grow from about 450.46 billion USD in 2026 to 501.51 billion USD by 2031, with Asia-Pacific expected to be the fastest-growing region.
For Vietnam, demand is forecast to reach about 7.4 billion USD by 2030. However, domestic capacity currently meets only a small portion of this demand, leading much of the maintenance spending of Vietnamese carriers to be directed abroad.
The 360 million USD MRO complex in Van Don is described as a solution aimed at cost optimization. Compared with traditional MRO hubs such as Hong Kong or Singapore, operating an internationally standard maintenance complex in Vietnam is expected to offer advantages related to infrastructure costs and access to technical talent.
The project is not framed as competing on low-cost services. Instead, it is expected to focus on high-end technical solutions while optimizing operating costs, with the goal of attracting maintenance cycles from domestic, regional, and international carriers.
The MRO complex will cover 20 hectares. Together with the casino project spanning over 244 hectares, it is intended to help drive an integrated ecosystem in Quang Ninh and support surrounding infrastructure development.
By anchoring Sun Group’s aviation-related capabilities, the MRO complex is expected to reduce reliance on foreign facilities and strengthen self-sufficiency for maintenance services.
If the Special Economic Zone policy takes shape, Van Don could shift from a tourism-focused area toward a maritime multi-industry economy combining entertainment, casino, luxury tourism, and diversified services, including logistics and international trade.
Experts cited in the article note that few locations in Vietnam simultaneously offer a strategic location, synchronized infrastructure, and capable investors. Van Don is described as benefiting from its position within the Vietnam–China cooperation framework of the Two Corridors, One Belt initiative, Gulf of Tonkin regional cooperation, and other cross-border economic corridors, with access to air, sea, and road infrastructure, including Van Don International Airport, Ha Long International Port, and the Ha Long–Van Don–Mong Cai expressway.
The article adds that if the casino attracts high-net-worth visitors and foreign capital, and the MRO center draws in high-tech supporting industries, the Special Economic Zone policy could act as a structural lever to expand growth space and attract long-term capital.
Ready Card users outside the European Economic Area have reportedly faced an abrupt service halt after a transition involving the card issuer disrupted the USDC spending product, according to user notices shared on X.
A notice shared…
