No-fly zone altitude over Ho Chi Minh City airport halved to 1,500 m to ease congestion

According to the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM), a trial plan to reduce the restricted space from 3,000 m has been approved by the Ministry of National Defense and the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, following studies together with the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam and other agencies.

The trial will run from Dec. 19 to March 31, 2026, coinciding with the peak travel season for the Lunar New Year, or Tet.

The 3,000 m restriction frequently causes congestion in the Tan Son Nhat–Bien Hoa–Long Thanh airspace, especially during military operations in Bien Hoa and adverse weather. Bien Hoa airport is 32 km from Tan Son Nhat and Long Thanh 40 km.

The VATM said reducing the altitude restriction would allow aircraft to avoid unnecessary detours, saving fuel and time.

During peak hours, reduced holding patterns are expected to save one to three minutes per flight.

Fuel savings by reducing one minute of flight come to VND1.6 million (US$60.72) for an Airbus A321, VND3 million for an A35, and VND2.5 million for Boeing B787.

Tan Son Nhat Airport handles an average of 750 take-offs and landings a day.

In addition, as Long Thanh International Airport prepares to begin operations, with three first official flights scheduled for Dec. 19 and commercial flights for mid-2026, the adjustment will create greater airspace flexibility for the Tan Son Nhat–Long Thanh airport cluster, helping separate flight paths, reduce conflicts and improve air traffic management efficiency.

In recent years aircraft arriving in HCMC have frequently been forced to circle overhead or divert to other airports instead of lowering their altitude due to reasons such as thunderstorms and low cloud ceilings.

During heavy rains in November this year, numerous flights were placed in holding patterns, with some diverted to Can Tho in the Mekong Delta, triggering cascading delays.