Tan Son Nhat's Expansion Tests Ho Chi Minh City's Ambitions as Long Thanh Nears

A Global Draw Faces a Difficult Arrival

Ho Chi Minh City ranked second among the world's most magnetic cities in a recent Gensler Research Institute survey, ahead of Singapore, Sydney and Vancouver. Some 61% of respondents expressed a desire to build their future there. Yet its main airport, Tan Son Nhat International Airport, placed 248th out of 250 airports in AirHelp's 2025 ranking.

The gap captures a practical problem for Vietnam's economic powerhouse. A city admired for its energy, opportunity and warmth still gives many visitors a frustrating first and last impression through crowded terminals, long queues and delayed flights. Residents and expatriates may see a place full of possibility, while arriving and departing passengers encounter an airport struggling to keep pace.

As of August 20, 2025, a substantial response is taking shape. Terminal T3 opened in April with capacity for 20 million passengers annually, new facilities and biometric identity checks. A new access road aims to ease traffic outside the airport, while upgraded lounges seek to improve the experience inside.

The larger change is planned for 2026, when Long Thanh International Airport, about 40 kilometers from central Ho Chi Minh City, is scheduled to open. The plan is for Long Thanh eventually to take over all international flights, leaving Tan Son Nhat to concentrate on domestic services.

For passengers, the immediate issue is how much these investments can shorten the journey from the airport entrance to the boarding gate. For the city, the task is to bring its busiest gateway closer to the welcome and opportunity that draw people there in the first place.

Why the Airport Became a Bottleneck

Tan Son Nhat is Vietnam's busiest airport and the main gateway to its economic powerhouse. Its facilities were originally designed for far fewer travelers, and the airport has operated beyond its intended capacity for years. Academic analysis has linked that mismatch between infrastructure and demand to persistent congestion, long queues and operational inefficiencies.

Passengers feel those pressures at several points in the same journey. One international visitor described spending three hours in queues: 1.5 hours at check-in, 45 minutes at immigration and the remaining time at security. Despite arriving well in advance, the traveler barely made the flight.

Other travelers have described extended waits aboard aircraft before takeoff and exceptionally high prices for basic amenities. AirHelp, a global flight compensation services company, cited poor punctuality, negative customer opinions and weak food and retail services in placing Tan Son Nhat near the bottom of its 2025 airport ranking.

One traveler described the experience in especially blunt terms:

this was, I'll be very honest, the worst airport I've ever been to.

Improving the airport has been complicated by legal frameworks and budget limitations. Expansion in a densely populated urban area is expensive and difficult, and surrounding development leaves little room for the airport to grow. Authorities have therefore pursued two connected approaches: modernizing the existing airport and building a new one.

For Ho Chi Minh City, these operational problems also carry a reputational cost. The airport is part of how visitors judge whether a city feels modern, welcoming and easy to navigate. A difficult arrival or departure can linger even after an otherwise enjoyable stay.

What Terminal T3 Adds

Terminal T3 opened in April 2025 as Vietnam's largest domestic passenger terminal. Its launch was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South, linking a major transport investment with a milestone in the city's history.

The terminal spans 112,500 square meters across four levels above ground and one basement. It is designed to handle 20 million passengers a year and as many as 7,000 passengers during peak hours.

T3's passenger processing facilities include 90 traditional check-in counters, 20 counters for passengers to drop off their own baggage, 42 automated check-in kiosks, 27 boarding gates and 25 security screening points. Together, these provide more places for passengers to complete the steps required before boarding.

Spacious waiting lounges, dining and shopping choices, free Wi-Fi, and dedicated lounges for VIPs and business class passengers form part of the upgrade. The aim is to improve both the movement of passengers and the time they spend waiting.

Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air and Bamboo Airways have relocated domestic operations to T3, easing pressure on the older Terminal 1. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam coordinated the transition, with staff assigned to help travelers and special policies introduced to support passengers unfamiliar with the new layout.

The sequence of changes extends beyond the terminal opening:

• April 2025: Terminal T3 opened, with its launch timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South.
• After its first month of operation: T3 had handled 1,464 flight movements and more than 355,000 passengers.
• August 20, 2025: Terminal improvements, digital processing and access upgrades formed the immediate response to Tan Son Nhat's congestion.
• 2026: Long Thanh International Airport was scheduled to open, with the eventual transfer of all international flights planned.

Facial Recognition Changes the Passenger Journey

Terminal T3 has introduced biometric identification and digital authentication linked to VNeID, Vietnam's national digital identity app. Biometric identification uses a physical feature, in this case a person's face, to verify identity.

Passengers using the system can check in online and have their identity verified through facial recognition scanners, bypassing traditional document checks. The change brings digital identity verification into the airport journey as part of a wider push toward travel procedures without paper documents.

Early passenger feedback has been positive. Nguyen Vu Khuong Duy, a Ho Chi Minh City resident who used the biometric process, described a shorter journey through the required procedures:

The usual airport process would take 30 to 45 minutes, but with the new biometric solution, the entire procedure only takes 10 to 15 minutes, making it faster and more convenient.

Duy's comparison describes a reduction from roughly half an hour or more to around a quarter of an hour or less. For passengers, that means less time moving through formalities. For airport staff, automated processing allows more attention to be directed toward travelers who need assistance.

The biometric system also serves a security purpose by checking that only authorized people enter secure areas. Privacy concerns are addressed through strict data protection regulations and government oversight. Plans call for extending the technology to other airports and additional processes, bringing Vietnam's airport services closer to international standards.

The Journey to T3 Starts on the Road

Ho Chi Minh City's airport congestion also affects the roads around the terminals. Passengers can lose time before they reach a check-in counter, making access improvements part of the response to the airport's wider capacity problem.

The new Tran Quoc Hoan – Cong Hoa road provides a direct connection between Terminal T3 and major traffic arteries. The route runs for four kilometers and has a budget of more than VND 4,800 billion.

City authorities expect the road to reduce chronic traffic jams around the airport and make it easier for passengers to reach flights on time. Its role complements the terminal expansion: more processing space inside the building works best when people can also reach that building reliably.

Free shuttle buses connect Terminals 1, 2 and 3. Those links help passengers move around an airport where domestic operations have shifted and travelers may need assistance finding the correct terminal.

What the First Month Shows

Terminal T3 handled 1,464 flight movements and served more than 355,000 passengers during its first month of operation. That activity brought substantial relief to Terminal 1 as domestic services moved into the new facilities.

Automated check-in kiosks, baggage drop facilities and electronic gates have reduced queuing and allowed airline staff to spend more time supporting passengers. Coordination among airport departments has also been strengthened so that problems can be addressed as they arise.

The early results point to an improvement in passenger flow, supported by both added space and changes in how people are processed. Tan Son Nhat still operates near capacity, however, and the first month offers only an initial view of how T3 will perform over time.

The airport's longer task is to keep those improvements working as passenger demand continues to place pressure on its facilities. A larger terminal, assistance during airline transfers and reliable connections between buildings each address a different part of the journey.

Lounges Seek to Improve the Waiting Experience

Tan Son Nhat is also upgrading facilities for business travelers and other premium passengers. Airport lounges provide space for comfort and privacy away from busy public waiting areas, making them an important part of the journey for those customers.

The airport has partnered with international firms including Airport Dimensions and local providers such as SASCO to improve its lounge services. The refurbishment of the Rose Lounge and the introduction of specialized spaces, including the Jasmine Halal Lounge and the Prime Lounge, are part of that effort.

These facilities combine premium amenities with cultural experiences. Their purpose is to make time spent at the airport more comfortable while helping position Ho Chi Minh City as a competitive destination in the regional aviation market.

Lounge improvements address one part of the airport experience. The broader passenger journey still depends on the queues, security procedures, boarding arrangements and retail services used across the terminals.

Long Thanh Is the Larger Capacity Plan

Long Thanh International Airport is intended to address the problem that terminal improvements alone cannot fully resolve: Tan Son Nhat has too little room for the number of passengers it serves. The new airport is being built about 40 kilometers from downtown Ho Chi Minh City.

As of August 20, its opening was scheduled for 2026. Long Thanh is eventually intended to take over all international flights, allowing Tan Son Nhat to focus on domestic routes. The precise timing of that complete transfer was not given.

The strategy draws on models in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Seoul, where the allocation of international and domestic operations between airports has been used to improve efficiency and the passenger experience. For Ho Chi Minh City, the planned division would give each airport a more focused role.

Some residents have expressed concern about Long Thanh's greater distance from the city. Authorities say improved expressways, metro lines and high-speed rail will make the journey as fast as, or faster than, traveling through peak traffic to Tan Son Nhat.

Authorities also expect all major connecting infrastructure to be in place when Long Thanh opens, providing access for passengers from Ho Chi Minh City and the wider southeastern region. Those connections are central to making the new airport practical for travelers who currently use a gateway within the city.

Service Must Match the New Buildings

Ho Chi Minh City's airport investment includes terminals, roads, identity technology and lounges. Travelers also judge an airport through their encounters with check-in staff, security personnel and retail vendors. Transparency, fairness, professionalism and kindness shape those encounters.

Travelers and experts have pointed to service culture as an essential part of the improvement effort. Digital procedures and modern amenities can make a journey quicker and more comfortable, while helpful staff can make it easier to manage unfamiliar facilities or a stressful departure.

A local commentator described the airport's role in shaping perceptions of the city:

An airport is the city's handshake, its first smile, its welcome mat. When that moment is disappointing, it chips away at the trust and pride the city has worked so hard to build.

For a city where 61% of respondents in the Gensler survey expressed a desire to build their future, the challenge is concrete. T3 must deliver a smoother domestic journey now, while Long Thanh and its transport connections prepare for a larger redistribution of flights.

The city's ambition, momentum and reputation for hospitality give those projects a purpose beyond adding capacity. Every traveler passing through Tan Son Nhat carries away an impression of Ho Chi Minh City, and the airport's daily service helps determine what that impression will be.

Key Points

• Ho Chi Minh City ranked second in a Gensler Research Institute survey of magnetic cities, while Tan Son Nhat placed 248th out of 250 airports in AirHelp's 2025 ranking.
• Terminal T3 opened in April 2025 with capacity for 20 million passengers annually and 7,000 during peak hours.
• Its first month brought 1,464 flight movements and more than 355,000 passengers, easing pressure on Terminal 1.
• Biometric checks linked to VNeID, automated facilities and staff assistance aim to shorten passenger processing.
• A four-kilometer access road costing more than VND 4,800 billion is intended to reduce traffic congestion around T3.
• Long Thanh was scheduled to open in 2026 and eventually take over all international flights, with Tan Son Nhat focusing on domestic services.
• Reliable transport connections and consistent customer service remain central to improving the complete airport journey.