During the 2026 Lunar New Year or Tet peak, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam increased take off and landing slots at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi from 42 to 46-48 flights per hour. The move enables airlines to operate more flights, including overnight services, to meet surging demand.
Several provincial airports with high passenger volumes, including Tho Xuan, Dong Hoi, Chu Lai, Phu Cat, Pleiku and Tuy Hoa, have also been instructed to increase operations and run around the clock.
Domestic airlines have been allowed to add aircraft during the peak period. Carriers have deployed 19 additional planes, four more than a year earlier, bringing the total fleet in service during Tet to about 216-218 aircraft.
Ahead of Tet, routes from Ho Chi Minh City to Hue, Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Pleiku, Tuy Hoa, Quy Nhon, Chu Lai and Dong Hoi recorded booking rates above 90 per cent, with some fully booked. In contrast, return flights to Ho Chi Minh City saw weaker demand, with many services operating at below 35 per cent occupancy.
From Hanoi, flights to central and southern localities posted booking rates of 30-60 per cent before Tet. Demand was higher on Hanoi-Dong Hoi and Hanoi-Dien Bien routes, where seat occupancy reached 88-100 per cent during peak days from February 12 to February 15.
After Tet, booking rates on routes from localities back to Ho Chi Minh City rose sharply to 80-100 per cent. Flights from Pleiku, Tuy Hoa, Quy Nhon, Chu Lai, Vinh, Thanh Hoa, Hue and Haiphong were nearly full.
On the Ho Chi Minh City-Hanoi route, demand was high on selected days before and after Tet. From February 11 to February 14, booking rates on flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi stood at about 83,90 per cent. From February 21 to February 23, occupancy on the Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City leg reached 80,94 per cent.
Between February 12 and February 21, total passenger traffic across the market is forecast at 2.85 million, up 11 per cent year on year. International passengers are expected to reach 1.6 million, up 14 per cent, while domestic travel is projected at 1.25 million, an increase of 10.7 per cent.
Passenger throughput at Tan Son Nhat Airport is estimated at about 1.48 million, up 7.3 per cent compared with Tet 2025. Noi Bai Airport is expected to handle nearly 1.08 million passengers, a year on year rise of 21 per cent.