Hanoi (VNA) - During the peak Lunar New Year (Tet) period of the Year of the Horse 2026, the aviation market recorded strong growth, particularly at key gateway airports such as Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai and Da Nang, which continuously set new highs in both passenger throughput and flight operations.
New records in air passenger traffic
To prepare for the 2026 Tet peak, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) rolled out key measures to support airlines in scaling up operations in line with rising travel demand. These included facilitating aircraft leasing and acquisition, improving slot coordination and oversight, allowing carriers to increase frequencies, and monitoring domestic booking trends to forecast demand and request additional flights where necessary.
During the Tet peak, total market transport volume reached nearly 2.6 million passengers and 19,200 tonnes of cargo, up 15.9% in passengers and 43% in cargo year-on-year. Domestic transport accounted for more than 1.1 million passengers and 2,400 tonnes of cargo (up 9.5% and 7.4%, respectively), while international transport reached nearly 1.5 million passengers and 16,900 tonnes of cargo (up 21.3% and 50%).
Across airports nationwide, there were 24,026 take-offs and landings, with 3.7 million passengers and 21,600 tonnes of cargo handled, up 15.2%, 13.9%, and 38%, respectively, compared with the same period last year.
At the Tan Son Nhat International Airport, there were 8,713 take-offs and landings, with 1.4 million passengers and 7,800 tonnes of cargo handled, up 7.1%, 11.8%, and 29.9%, respectively. The busiest day was the sixth day of the Lunar New Year (February 22, 2026), when the airport recorded a peak of more than 182,900 passengers, 16.6% higher than the previous Tet peak in 2025.
The Noi Bai International Airport handled 5,800 trips, with 986,400 passengers and 13,000 tonnes of cargo, marking increases of 21.1%, 20.8%, and 46.7%. Its peak day, also the sixth day of Tet, saw more than 137,700 passengers, up 25.4% from the previous year’s peak.
Momentum for higher growth targets
According to the aviation authority, Vietnamese carriers transported 1.65 million passengers and 6,470 tonnes of cargo during the period, up 9.3% and 26.8% year-on-year. Domestic routes accounted for 1.1 million passengers and 2,400 tonnes of cargo, while international routes carried 515,600 passengers and 4,100 tonnes of cargo.
Airlines operated more than 9,100 flights, of which over 5,500 departed on time, giving an average on-time performance rate of 61%. A total of 48 flights were cancelled.
As in previous years, air travel demand began to rise from the 23rd day of the last lunar month. Based on close monitoring and forecasts, the authority issued timely directives and deployed solutions to ensure that passenger demand was met as effectively as possible.
Although some delays occurred in the early days of the holiday, mainly due to airline operations and adverse weather such as low cloud and fog, airlines and service providers coordinated to assist passengers, provide information, and implement appropriate measures in line with regulations, minimising inconvenience, a CAAV official said.
Overall, the authority assessed that aviation operations during the 2026 Tet holiday were conducted safely, with service quality maintained, meeting the travel needs of the public and tourists.
Relevant agencies and units also fulfilled their responsibilities to ensure safety, security, and service quality throughout the aviation system.
“The market recorded strong growth, particularly at key gateway airports such as Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai, and Da Nang, which continuously set new records in both passenger throughput and flight operations. This will serve as a driving force for the aviation sector to strive for even higher growth targets in 2026,” the authority stressed./.
