Tan Son Nhat Airport is different on the occasion of April 30th, clear on the first day of peak travel season

Khách xếp hàng trật tự vào khu làm thủ tục check-in của Vietnam Airlines tại Tân Sơn Nhất - Ảnh: CÔNG TRUNG — Passengers line up in an orderly manner at the Vietnam Airlines check-in area at Tan Son Nhat.

At Tan Son Nhat International Airport on April 27, from morning to early afternoon, the domestic and international terminals were clear and passengers moved freely. The image of "stuck" or congestion at hot spots such as queues waiting to check-in or at the security checkpoints no longer existed. This was an unusual image at the country's largest airport during the peak period of the April 30 holiday.

Tan Son Nhat airport representatives also reminded customers that April 27 is the first day of the holiday season and there is a possibility of congestion. Statistics on this day show that there were 689 flights with 115,000 passengers.

Of which, outbound flights, i.e. from Tan Son Nhat to other provinces and international flights, were 345 flights, with 62,996 passengers.

Flights from international and other provinces to Tan Son Nhat reached 344, passenger volume reached 52,000. This number is lower than the same period last year but higher than normal days.

At the domestic terminal, there are halls A and B serving 6 domestic airlines, the check-in counters are spacious. The waiting area for the departure gate is not too crowded with passengers waiting in line.

Ms. Thu Yen (Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) had a flight departing at 10am on April 27 to Da Nang. She was surprised that on the first day of the holiday, the airport was not as busy as in previous years.

Normally, during peak season, Tan Son Nhat airport is always crowded on the first day of the holiday, passengers line up in long lines waiting to check in their luggage, especially the screening process that always "haunts" customers because of the long wait... This year is different, these steps are carried out quickly.

Meanwhile, at the airline's check-in counter, groups of tourists on tours gathered busily and orderly to check in and complete their flights.

According to an airline, the aviation authority has spread out flights according to each time frame to avoid "crowding by the hour". Currently, there will be more night flights, significantly reducing the crowded situation during the day.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, on the first official holiday (April 27) and the last day of the holiday (May 1), the booking rate on flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to other localities mostly reached over 75%, in which some flights reached over 90% to 100% booking rate.

Increasing application of technology, airports organize stable service

A representative of Tan Son Nhat International Airport said that on the occasion of April 30, there were more passengers than usual but decreased by at least 10% compared to the same period last year.

The port has arranged staff to support customers in important steps that often cause congestion, not to mention that this year customers use technology such as online check-in, carefully prepare documents... so the time to complete procedures at each step is shorter.

Representatives of Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet also confirmed that the rate of customers checking in online and checking in at check-in kiosks fluctuates between 40-50%, significantly reducing the pressure of waiting in line at traditional check-in counters.

"The weather is good, preparations are good, flights departing this morning on time so delays rarely happen," he said.