Long queues of passengers at all the check-in desks on the afternoon of January 19.
Long queues of passengers were seen at all the check-in desks on the afternoon of January 19.
A passenger, Nguyen Nhat Tan said that he was surprised to see the crowded atmosphere.
"I didn’t expect this crowd at local airports as the pandemic is still complicated in many localities," Tan said. "But it took me more than 30 minutes to check in today."
Passengers had to declare their health status and show Covid-19 test results at the check-in desks, which made the overcrowding more serious.
To save time, airlines have advised passengers to check in through websites, telephones or at kiosks 24 hours before departure.
Vietnam Airlines Group, which operate Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines and VASCO, said on January 17 that flights on many air routes have seen their occupancy rates ranging from 70 to 90 percent in recent days as many people began to make the journey home for the Lunar New Year.
The group observed that this year, passengers have chosen to depart sooner instead of waiting until a few days before Tet like in previous years. A large number of flights with schedules falling between January 17 and 23 now have most of their seats booked.
The 2022 Lunar New Year holiday, the longest and most important holiday in Vietnam, lasts from January 31 through February 4.