Saigon airport to stop public announcements to reduce noise

The measure will take effect from July at international terminals and from October at the domestic terminal.

All information related to flights will be displayed on screens. The only information that will still be relayed through speakers is announcements of gate changes.

In a statement in its website, national carrier Vietnam Airlines has informed customers to follow the information and direction tables at the airport to update themselves on flight status and be present at the boarding gate at least 30 minutes before departure.

Tan Son Nhat, the biggest airport in Vietnam, is the first in the country to shut down its speakers, which are usually used to inform passengers of their flight schedules, delayed flights, and last calls for passengers.

The move to reduce noise is part of efforts to improve service quality at the airport, which has been overloaded for years. It served 36 million passengers last year, compared to its designed capacity of just 25 million.

Survey results released in March this year by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) showed service quality at Tan Son Nhat remains lowest among six largest airports in Vietnam.

An investor has been chosen for a project to expand the airport by adding another terminal, increasing its capacity to 50 million in 2025.