Vietnam’s tourism surge is colliding with a stark infrastructure reality: its main gateways are overwhelmed. Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and Nội Bài International Airport in Hanoi are both operating far above their design capacities, leading to lengthy queues, flight delays, and a poor first impression for millions of arrivals. One traveller on Reddit described the experience at Tan Son Nhat as “very unpleasant,” citing “insanely long and slow moving” queues and a lack of crowd management. The post asked: “How can such a fun country that has so much to offer have such a horrible onboarding experience?”
Vietnam’s government and private partners are now racing to answer that question with a multi-billion-dollar airport expansion programme. The centrepiece is Long Thanh International Airport, located in Đồng Nai province, about 40 kilometres east of Ho Chi Minh City. Once fully operational, Long Thanh is designed to handle 100 million passengers annually, dramatically easing the burden on Tan Son Nhat. The first phase is expected to open towards the end of this year, providing immediate relief and enabling direct long-haul flights from Europe, North America, and Australia without regional transfers.
Beyond the Major Gateways
Vietnam is also investing in airports that serve emerging tourist destinations. Phu Quoc International Airport, backed by a partnership with Singapore’s Changi Airports International, is undergoing a major expansion that will raise its capacity to 18 million passengers by 2027. The island of Phu Quoc is being positioned by developer Sun Group as a resort destination to rival Bali, and the upgraded airport is critical to that vision.
Further north, Van Phong Airport near Nha Trang is being built on reclaimed land—a first for Vietnam—and will open up the Central Highlands and the Khanh Hoa coastal zone to marine logistics and leisure travellers. These projects are part of a broader strategy to disperse tourist flows away from the congested Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City corridor and into secondary markets.
The expansion also supports Vietnam’s ambition to become a regional aviation hub. With new runways and terminals capable of handling the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777X, airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways, and VietJet Air are expected to launch more nonstop routes to long-haul markets. This aligns with broader trends in Southeast Asia, where countries like Thailand and the Philippines are also upgrading their airport infrastructure to capture a larger share of global travel demand.
However, capacity alone is not enough. Industry observers note that Vietnam must also address operational inefficiencies, including visa processing, customs clearance, and ground handling. The country has already introduced e-visas and expanded visa waivers for key source markets, but airport staff shortages and outdated technology continue to cause bottlenecks. The new airports will need to integrate modern passenger processing systems—such as biometric boarding and automated bag-drop—to deliver a seamless experience.
For travel professionals, the message is clear: Vietnam is serious about removing the gridlock that threatens its tourism boom. The opening of Long Thanh later this year will be a watershed moment, but the full impact will take years to materialise. In the meantime, agents and operators should monitor developments at Phu Quoc and Van Phong, as these airports will unlock new itineraries and resort options for clients seeking alternatives to the traditional Hanoi–HCMC route.
Vietnam’s airport expansion is not just about concrete and runways—it is about sustaining the country’s rise as a tourism powerhouse in Southeast Asia. As the region’s travel dynamics shift, those who plan ahead will be best positioned to benefit.
