The south's largest hub airport sets a 750-flight schedule for the April 30 holidays
The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) announced that for the 9-day "Southern Liberation Day and May Day" holidays from April 25 to May 3, it will raise the hourly slots for takeoffs and landings at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat International Airport from the usual 44 to 46 per hour. It expects a daily average of 750 flights (450 domestic + 300 international) and 125,000 passengers (75,000 domestic + 50,000 international), reaching 770 flights and 130,000 people on peak days. The flight schedule will be up 12% from normal periods, and the implementation of biometric boarding procedures is also advancing at Terminals T1 and T3.
The holiday timeline and peak-day details
These holidays start with the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day (Hung Kings' anniversary) on April 25, span Southern Liberation Day on April 30 and May Day on May 1, and continue through May 3. The three days ACV especially anticipates as peaks are as follows.
- April 24 (the day before the departure rush): from Friday evening the day before the holidays, domestic-flight bookings concentrate. Homecoming travelers and tourists overlap
- April 29: travel demand the day before the anniversary picks up in earnest, with domestic-flight seat utilization expected to exceed 95%
- May 3 (the return rush): the last day of the holidays. Flights returning from the provinces to Ho Chi Minh City are almost all fully booked
ACV is coordinating with the airlines to deploy extra flights aligned with peak days. VietJet and Vietnam Airlines have also announced added flights, andwith Vietravel Airlines having recently resumed international routes,the timing overlaps, broadening the options for international flights.
The background to introducing electric buses and improving access
Drawing attention as a measure to ease airport congestion is the full switch of bus route 152 from diesel vehicles to electric buses. Route 152 is a main line connecting the airport with District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City — home to Ben Thanh Market and the backpacker street — and has a high usage rate among travelers. It increases from the previous 110 round trips a day to 144, a 31% boost, running at roughly 10-minute intervals from the 5 a.m. hour until late at night.
The switch to electric buses is part of the public-transit greening plan Ho Chi Minh City has been promoting since 2025. By introducing zero-emission vehicles, it also aims to improve air quality around the airport. At Tan Son Nhat, where airport-access congestion has become chronic, along withthe mandatory digital arrival card,efforts to make post-arrival flow more efficient are advancing at a rapid pace.
A list of flight and passenger data for the holiday period
| Item | Normal period | Holiday period (4/25–5/3) | Peak day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slots (per hour) | 44 flights | 46 flights | 46 flights |
| Flights per day | About 670 flights | About 750 flights | About 770 flights |
| Domestic flights | About 400 flights | About 450 flights | About 460 flights |
| International routes | About 270 flights | About 300 flights | About 310 flights |
| Passengers per day | About 110,000 people | About 125,000 people | About 130,000 people |
| Domestic passengers | About 65,000 people | About 75,000 people | About 80,000 people |
| International passengers | About 45,000 people | About 50,000 people | About 50,000 people |
Local reactions — voices of airport users and aviation staff
Nguyen (in his 30s), an office worker living in Ho Chi Minh City, says, "Last year's holidays meant a 3-hour wait at the airport. This year, since the electric buses have been increased, I plan to avoid the taxi congestion and head to the airport by bus."
An operations control manager at a domestic LCC reveals, "Expanding the slots to 46 flights per hour makes coordination with air traffic control quite tight. The challenge is minimizing delays while keeping the safety margin."
Tran (in his 40s), who runs a travel agency, describes this year's booking trends: "Domestic flights departing April 29 are almost sold out. Da Nang and Phu Quoc routes are especially popular, and seats filled up by mid-March. On international flights, demand for South Korea and Japan routes is up 20% year on year."
Impact on Japanese travelers and countermeasures
During the holiday period, direct flights from Japan to Ho Chi Minh City (ANA, JAL, VietJet, Vietnam Airlines) are also expected to be crowded. Keep the following points in mind.
- Immigration after arrival: At peak times, there may be a 60–90 minute wait. Assuming you'll use the biometric gates, register your digital arrival card in advance
- Getting from the airport to the city: The route 152 electric bus (about 5,000 VND = about 30 yen) is the best value. Grab can be 2–3 times the usual with surge pricing
- On departure: Arriving 3 hours ahead for international flights and 2 hours ahead for domestic is recommended. Make use of online check-in and self-service kiosks
- Checking prohibited items: Check the rules for lithium batteries and power banks in advance
The added-flight trend across Vietnam's aviation industry
Tan Son Nhat's added-flight setup symbolizes the expansion trend across Vietnam's aviation industry.Vietnam Airlines is significantly expanding its European and Asian routes in the summer 2026 schedule,and from Da Nang as well,direct flights from Russia and the CIS region have resumed.The aviation safety level is raised to "Level 1" from April 29 to May 4, and airport security is also strengthened.
Meanwhile, the new Long Thanh International Airport is under construction, aiming for a partial opening at the end of 2025, and once complete, it's expected to fundamentally resolve Tan Son Nhat's capacity shortage. Until then, during the transition period, such extra flights will be repeated at every holiday and Lunar New Year.
Practical airport access information
| Means | Time required (to District 1) | Fee | Yen conversion | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric bus 152 | 45–60 minutes | 5,000 VND | About 30 yen | Roughly 10-minute intervals, from 5 a.m. to late at night |
| Grab / taxi | 20–40 minutes | 100,000〜180,000 VND | About 600–1,080 yen | Surge pricing at peak times |
| Airport limousine | 30–50 minutes | 60,000〜80,000 VND | About 360–480 yen | To Ben Thanh Market |
| Hotel pickup | 20–40 minutes | 200,000〜400,000 VND | About 1,200–2,400 yen | Advance booking required |
Summary — early preparation and using the electric bus are key
Tan Son Nhat Airport's holiday response grows in scale year by year, and 2026 takes it on with its largest-ever setup of 46 flights per hour and up to 770 flights a day. The three most practical measures for Japanese travelers are: registering the digital arrival card in advance, completing online check-in, and using the route 152 electric bus for airport-to-city travel. This option, which costs just 30 yen and also avoids congestion risk, is well worth trying when arriving in Saigon during the holidays. As your next move, check each Vietnamese airline's holiday schedule and lock in your booking while seats remain.
