Busy dometic departures at Tân Sơn Nhất Airport during National Day 2025 holiday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's two biggest air hubs, Tân Sơn Nhất and Nội Bài airports, are stepping up security, traffic management and passenger services as air travel is expected to surge during the upcoming five-day National Day holiday from August 29 to September 2.

Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City expects to handle an average of about 780 flights and 130,000 passengers a day from August 28 to September 2.

The busiest days are forecast to be the day before the holiday, when demand is expected to peak for departing passengers, and September 2, when travellers return. Each day is expected to see nearly 800 flights and around 135,000 passengers.

To cope with the surge, Tân Sơn Nhất has coordinated with the airport immigration police and the HCM City Traffic Police to strengthen security and traffic safety measures.

Authorities will proactively regulate traffic on approaches to the airport, maximise the number of security screening lanes in operation and step up action against illegal or unlicensed vehicles and passenger solicitation.

Security forces will also remain on duty around the clock to safeguard flight operations. The airport said strict action would be taken against the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), laser pointers and kites around aircraft take-off and landing areas in the wake of recent disruptive incidents.

Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights.

The airport also recommends that passengers use online check-in where possible, limit the number of relatives accompanying or seeing them off, and make greater use of public transport to ease congestion around the airport.

Nội Bài International Airport in Hà Nội is also gearing up for record passengership. August 28 will also being the busiest day, with more than 125,000 passengers and 743 aircraft movements. Passenger volume is expected to be 8 per cent higher than on a normal day and 33 per cent above the same day last year, while aircraft movements are forecast to rise 10 per cent compared with normal operations and 18 per cent year-on-year.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam has increased the airport’s slot coordination parameter from 42 to 44 slots per hour between 6am and 11.55pm, providing additional capacity for airlines to operate extra flights during the peak period.

Nội Bài airport is working with airport immigration police to regulate vehicle flows approaching the terminals, adjusting traffic arrangements according to actual conditions and clearly designating parking areas.

Inside the terminals, the airport will maximise the use of check-in counters, boarding gates and baggage belts, while deploying additional staff at locations where congestion is likely.

Biometric processing will also be prioritised, with technical teams on standby to ensure the systems operate smoothly. Separate immigration areas have been arranged for Vietnamese citizens, foreign passengers and crew members to help shorten processing times.

The airport will continue to use the Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) model to improve flight-operation coordination, optimise capacity and enhance on-time performance.

During the peak period, service providers have been instructed to strictly comply with operational regulations and maintain service quality throughout the day, including for early-morning and late-night flights. Staff are expected to maintain professional conduct and proactively assist passengers throughout their journey through the terminals.

Passengers are encouraged to check in online on airlines’ websites or mobile applications, use VNeID accounts, and make use of check-in and biometric kiosks where available.

They should also check their travel documents, baggage requirements and regulations on prohibited or restricted items before travelling. During the peak period, passengers should allow sufficient time for their journey and arrive at the airport at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights. — VNS