Passengers boarding a flight at Tan Son Nhat Airport.
Statistics released on January 15 by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) showed that Tan Son Nhat Airport will serve 6,100 flights with nearly 900,000 passengers during the seven-day Tet Holiday from January 28 to February 3, an increase of 8.70 percent in flight numbers and 4 percent in passenger numbers compared to the same period last year.
During the days close to and right after the festival or between January 22-28, and January 29-February 3, the airport will handle between 820 - 900 flights daily with the number of travellers peaking on January 27-28 and February 2, at approximately 155,000 passengers daily, CAAV reported.
These figures will show an increase of 12.70 percent compared to the busiest day before Tet 2024, and a 4 percent rise from the peak day after last year's Tet.
To handle the surge, CAAV has increased airport slot capacity and supported airlines in boosting resources such as additional aircraft and contingency plans.
Some local airlines have increased night flights to ease congestion. Vietnam Airlines plans over 1,500 night flights, while Vietjet Air has scheduled 1,590 which are mostly from HCM City to the northern and central localities.
Speaking to Dantri/Dtinews, CAAV's head Uong Viet Dung said that they would closely follow and monitor the transport situation at Tan Son Nhat Airport, the country's hottest travelling spot this time, to issue timely instructions. He also expressed hopes to have sympathy from passengers during this peak period.
"With a longer Tet holiday, the travelling demand has surged this year," he said. "We hope to receive understanding and sympathy from passengers for any inconveniences and we're willing to receive your ideas and opinions through our airports' hotlines in order to improve our services."
Passengers are advised to stay informed about flight schedules, adhere to check-in timelines, and comply with safety and security regulations.
CAAV has also requested many other airports including Tho Xuan in Thanh Hoa Province, Dong Hoi in Quang Binh, Chu Lai in Quang Ngai, Phu Cat in Binh Dinh, Pleiku in Gia Lai, and Tuy Hoa in Phu Yen to operate around the clock to receive flights from Tan Son Nhat during Tet holiday.