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| More than 4.1 million air passengers are forecast during the peak travel period of the Lunar New Year 2026. (Photo: VNA) |
Hanoi (VNA) – Carriers have added 19 additional aircraft, four more than a year earlier, bringing the total number of planes in service during the peak Tet (Lunar New Year) period to about 216–218.
Uong Viet Dung, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), shared that to ensure smooth travel and keep traffic orderly and safe during Tet and the 2026 Spring Festival, the authority has made it as easy as possible for airlines to add more aircraft during the busy season.
Regarding slot coordination, management and supervision, the CAAV has increased slot parameters at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat international airports to 46–48 flights per hour. This move enables airlines to operate more flights, including overnight services, while helping passengers access more reasonable airfares.
In addition, the authority has directed aviation agencies and units to mobilise all resources to meet travel demand during the Tet peak, especially by increasing flight frequencies and implementing 24/7 operations at airports with high demand, including Tho Xuan, Dong Hoi, Chu Lai, Phu Cat, Pleiku and Tuy Hoa.
It has directed relevant units to keep a close eye on bookings, basic economy fares, and reservation data for domestic routes to gauge passenger demand. Depending on the findings, airlines might be asked to add more flights on routes with high booking rates, as long as it aligns with their operational capacity.
According to the official, domestic air travel during the Lunar New Year has clearly reflected an “imbalanced” travel pattern. In the pre-Tet period, flights from Ho Chi Minh City to central and northern localities have seen sharp increases in booking rates and are nearly full, while traffic in the opposite direction remains only moderate. After Tet, the situation is expected to reverse.
At present, during the pre-Tet peak, several routes from Ho Chi Minh City to destinations such as Hue, Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Pleiku, Tuy Hoa, Quy Nhon, Chu Lai and Dong Hoi have recorded booking rates above 90%, with some reaching 100%. In contrast, return flights from localities to Ho Chi Minh City remain low, with many flights reporting booking rates below 35% and several operating as ferry flights to return aircraft.
Flights from Hanoi to central and southern localities in the pre-Tet period generally show lower booking rates, mostly ranging from 30% to 60%. However, the Hanoi–Dong Hoi and Hanoi–Dien Bien routes have recorded stronger demand, with booking rates of 88–100% during peak days from February 12 to 15, he stated.
After Tet, booking rates on flights from localities back to Ho Chi Minh City rise sharply, commonly reaching 80–100%. Routes from Pleiku, Tuy Hoa, Quy Nhon, Chu Lai, Vinh, Thanh Hoa, Hue and Hai Phong are reported to be nearly full.
On the Ho Chi Minh City–Hanoi route, flights are busiest just before Tet and right after the holiday. From February 11 to 14, flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi are about 83–90% booked, while from February 21 to 23, flights from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City are around 80–94% full./.
