In a report released by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), local and foreign airlines in Vietnam served 763,000 passengers, including 356,500 domestic and 406,500 foreign passengers, during the four-day holiday from August 31 to September 3. Local airlines transported 531,000 passengers, including 174,000 overseas and 356,500 on domestic routes.
While the number of domestic passengers dropped by 15.60 percent compared to the same period last year, the number of foreign passengers increased by 14.50 percent.
The country's major airports also received fewer passengers than last year, with Tan Son Nhat serving 407,000, down 7.40 percent, Noi Bai receiving 314,000, down 1.10 percent, and Danang receiving 111,000 passengers, down 13 percent.
A representative from CAAV claimed the drop was due to the completion of more sections of the North-South Expressway, which meant more people travelled by road.
"We had increased the number of flights to 2,700, mostly on domestic routes, during the period," the CAAV representative said. "However, many flights saw a large number of empty seats."