Night-time flights will be expanded at six airports during the Lunar New Year, or Tet, holiday to cope with surging travel demand, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV).
Under a plan effective from February 1 to March 1, operating hours will be extended at Tho Xuan, Dong Hoi, Chu Lai, Phu Cat, Pleiku and Tuy Hoa airports to accommodate additional overnight services during the Tet peak and the spring festival season.
Tho Xuan airport in Thanh Hoa province will extend operations until 2.40 am the following day, while Dong Hoi airport in Quang Tri province will operate until 4.30 am, compared with current evening closures. Chu Lai, Pleiku and Tuy Hoa airports will operate until midnight, while Phu Cat airport will remain open until 1.05 am.
The CAAV has instructed the Airports Corporation of Vietnam and the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation to mobilise resources, strengthen coordination with airlines and ensure safety, security and service quality during night-time operations.
The authority had earlier called for more flexible air traffic management to reduce delays, and urged stronger forecasting and contingency planning for adverse weather, infrastructure constraints and technical incidents during the peak travel period.
