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EN
The dreaded sight of long lines of people waiting for security screening, the horrific traffic jams at train station entrances, and the anxiety of fearing delays or cancellations have long become an unwanted "specialty" every Lunar New Year.
However, on the eve of the New Year and Lunar New Year holidays in 2026, the Vietnamese aviation industry is determined to ensure that passengers are not "stranded" at airports. This is a directive from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam aimed at ensuring the rights and maximum convenience for people during the peak holiday season.
In an effort to eliminate the "traditional" congestion that occurs every Tet holiday, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has directed key airports such as Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai to comprehensively restructure their service processes.
The Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority has officially issued a new directive, focusing on a comprehensive restructuring of service processes at "hot spots" such as Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai International Airports. Aviation experts believe that proactively reorganizing traffic in terminal areas, increasing service capacity during peak hours, and tightening service discipline are crucial links in improving customer experience, making the journey home for Tet (Lunar New Year) smoother and safer than ever before.
Authorities are stepping up traffic coordination and flow management in the passenger pick-up and drop-off areas.
The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) is currently facing the crucial task of developing detailed service plans corresponding to various passenger growth scenarios. Beyond simply allocating personnel and equipment, ACV is required to implement changes in security screening and baggage claim procedures. These are two areas prone to bottlenecks, causing prolonged frustration for passengers. By optimizing traffic flow and applying modern monitoring technology, waiting times are expected to be significantly reduced, ensuring continuous passenger flow even during the busiest days of the 2026 Tet holiday.
One of the groundbreaking solutions this year is the review and reorganization of all passenger pick-up and drop-off routes, as well as waiting areas at major airports. The chaotic mix of taxis, ride-hailing services, and private vehicles in front of terminals will be replaced by a scientifically coordinated system with an increased team of guidance staff.
To minimize congestion at check-in counters, airlines encourage passengers to prioritize online check-in and self-service kiosks.
In particular, close coordination between airports, the Department of Construction, and local authorities will help implement traffic diversion plans from a distance. Preventing pressure from the main connecting roads will help keep the airport's inner city area clear and avoid localized traffic congestion.
In this directive, the Civil Aviation Authority requires management units to take strong action against all violations of the law and regulations of the industry. Taxi companies and ride-hailing apps operating at the airport will be closely monitored through camera systems and mobile security forces. Any cases of price gouging or substandard service will be severely punished, both for individual drivers and managing organizations, in order to restore a transparent and civilized business environment for passengers.
In addition, the role of public transportation has been significantly enhanced. Bus routes connecting the airport, especially at Tan Son Nhat, will be strategically located in the most convenient, easily identifiable, and accessible locations.
Encouraging passengers to use high-quality buses not only helps reduce the burden on road transport infrastructure but is also a cost-effective and efficient solution for the public. At the same time, planned aviation infrastructure maintenance projects under the Ministry of Construction must be completed promptly. For ongoing construction projects, investors are responsible for cleaning up the construction sites and installing all necessary signage and signal lights to ensure absolute safety for flight operations and ground vehicle movement.
For domestic airlines, the supply-demand balance is being addressed by closely monitoring real-time booking data. Airlines are required to proactively add more flights on high-demand routes and increase the number of night flights. Utilizing nighttime hours not only helps to lower Tet holiday airfares but also significantly reduces pressure on airport infrastructure during the day. To ensure smooth operations, resources in terms of aircraft, pilots, flight attendants, and technicians have been mobilized to the maximum extent, aiming to minimize technical incidents that could lead to flight cancellations.
The Vietnamese aviation industry is implementing comprehensive solutions from ground to air to ensure that people's journeys home for Tet 2026 are convenient, safe, and on time, eliminating concerns about prolonged delays and cancellations.
An important piece of advice for passengers to avoid being "stuck" at check-in counters is to prioritize using online check-in or self-service kiosks at the airport. Checking in early will help reduce pressure on ground staff and give passengers more time to relax before their flight. Simultaneously, the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) is committed to strengthening air traffic control personnel and improving the quality of aviation weather forecasts. The coordination between ground and air traffic will ensure that every flight takes off and lands safely and on time, even under record-breaking flight frequency conditions.
