Tan Son Nhat airport teems with Tet family reunions

By Quynh Tran   January 17, 2020 | 09:33 pm PT
Hordes of Vietnamese are flocking to Saigon's Tan Son Nhat International Airport to welcome loved ones from overseas for the Lunar New Year.
When Tet (Lunar New Year) is appoaching, Ho Chi Minh Citys  Tan Son Nhat International Airport is always crowded as families and relatives from many southern provinces come to pick up overseas Vietnamese returning home. At 10 p.m., January 17, more and more citizens are still waiting at the airport.

With Tet (Lunar New Year holiday) barely a week away, Tan Son Nhat International Airport is crowded as families and relatives from many southern provinces come to pick up overseas Vietnamese returning home. At 10 p.m., January 17, this was the crowd waiting for arrivals.

According to the airports staff, the number of passangers and their families has been significantly increasing since two weeks before Tet, which fall next week. Peak hour at the airport is at noon and night. The number of passengers per day is expected to average 130,000 during the month, 10,500 more than last year.

According to the airport staff, the number of passengers and their families coming to receive them has significantly increased since the last two weeks.

Trying to get rid of the crowd, people look for their family members and relatives through the glass window. The airport has been expected to get peak crowds between January 9 and February 8 as people travel for Tet, the biggest holiday in Vietnam and main occasion for family reunions. 

People look for their family members and relatives through a glass wall. The airport is expected to get peak crowds between January 9 and February 8 as people travel for Tet, the biggest holiday in Vietnam and the main occasion for family reunions.

The seats outside arrival gates are always filled with people without any vacancy. Some try to have better view of their beloved ones by standing close to the barrier. For years, Tan Son Nhat has been under pressure during this holiday season. The airport, designed with both domestic and international terminals, has come increasingly under strain. It handled more than 40 million passengers in 2019, 1.6 times its intended capacity of 25 million.

The seats outside arrival gates are always filled with people these days. Some wait at the barrier. The airport has experienced this pressure during this holiday season for years. Already overcrowded, it handled more than 40 million passengers in 2019, 1.6 times its intended capacity of 25 million.

Keep looking at the arrival gates and flight information screens, people are tired while waiting for their their overseas Vietnamese relatives.

Tired, people patiently study arrival gate and flight information screens as they wait for their overseas Vietnamese relatives to arrive.

Some try to take a nap while waiting.

Some take a nap while waiting.


Thu Hien (R) feeds her niece some pieces of bread while waiting for her sister coming home from the U.S. My sister has settled down there for almost 40 years, she says, adding that no matter how busy the family members are, they always go to the airport to welcome her sister.

Thu Hien (R) feeds her niece some pieces of bread while waiting for her sister coming home from the U.S. "My sister has settled down there for almost 40 years," she said, adding that no matter how busy the family members are, they always go to the airport to welcome her sister.

1 a.m., January 18, several flight from the U.S. and Japan arrive. While many passengers walk out of the gate, many local citizens invade the lane, creating a chaotic scene. Security staff at the airport must work hard to stablize the situation.

At around 1 a.m., January 18, several flights from the U.S. and Japan arrive. Passengers walk out of the gate into a thick crowd of people. The scene is chaotic, and security staff are kept on their toes.

After two hours of waiting, Thanh (L) finally meets his grandaughter Kha Di and her parents visiting from Australia. The man maintains he has been waiting for Tet the whole year just to see his children.

After two hours of waiting, Thanh (L) finally meets his grandaughter Kha Di and her parents visiting from Australia. He said he has been waiting for Tet the whole year just to see his children. The Tet holiday peaks on January 25.

After living in the U.S. for 16 year, this is the first time Cam Van (the third from the left) has been back to Vietnam. 

After living in the U.S. for 16 years, this is the first time Cam Van (third from left) has been back to Vietnam.

The number of passengers at the airport per day is expected to average 130,000 during the month, 10,500 more than last year.

 
 
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