HCMC – The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has raised the maximum number of takeoffs and landings at Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai airports to meet peak travel demand during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.
The hourly slot capacity at the country’s two largest airports has been increased from 42 to 46–48 flights. The move allows airlines to add services, operate more night flights, and expand seat supply during the Tet holiday.
Several regional airports with strong travel demand, including Tho Xuan, Dong Hoi, Chu Lai, Phu Cat, Pleiku and Tuy Hoa, have been instructed to increase flight frequencies and operate around the clock.
Domestic carriers have also expanded their fleets for the peak period. Nineteen aircraft have been added, four more than last year, bringing the total number of planes expected to operate during Tet to 216–218.
According to the aviation authority, booking patterns for Tet 2026 continue to show a strong imbalance between outbound and return travel, a common trend during major holidays.
Before Tet, flights from HCMC to central and northern destinations such as Hue, Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Pleiku, Tuy Hoa, Quy Nhon, Chu Lai and Dong Hoi are nearly full, with booking rates exceeding 90% and some routes sold out. In contrast, return flights to HCMC during this period have low load factors, with many services operating below 35%.
From Hanoi, pre-Tet booking rates to central and southern destinations range between 30% and 60%. Demand is higher on the Hanoi–Dong Hoi and Hanoi–Dien Bien routes, where bookings reach 88–100% on peak days from February 12 to 15.
After the holiday, demand reverses sharply. Flights from provincial airports back to HCMC record booking rates of 80–100%, with many routes almost fully booked. These include Pleiku, Tuy Hoa, Quy Nhon, Chu Lai, Vinh, Thanh Hoa, Hue, and Haiphong.
On the HCMC–Hanoi route, bookings peak on selected days before and after Tet. From February 11 to 14, load factors on flights from HCMC to Hanoi reach 83–90%. From February 21 to 23, bookings on the Hanoi–HCMC route rise to 80–94%.
During the peak travel period from February 12 to 21, total passenger traffic across Vietnam’s aviation market is projected at 2.85 million, up 11% year-on-year. International passengers are expected to reach 1.6 million, an increase of 14%, while domestic travel is forecast at 1.25 million passengers, up 10.7%.
Passenger throughput at Tan Son Nhat airport is estimated at about 1.48 million, up 7.3% from last year’s Tet holiday. Noi Bai airport is expected to handle around 1.08 million passengers, marking a 21% increase.
