At 10:30 p.m., the international terminal of the airport was packed with people from various provinces and cities waiting for their relatives from abroad.
Security personnel said the terminal has been bustling all day and night for nearly half a month leading up to Tet, with crowds peaking at night.
Tet, which peaks on Jan. 29, is Vietnam's most important and biggest holiday. Traditionally, it is a time when people from across the country and abroad return home for family reunions and festive gatherings.
Tan Son Nhat Airport, the busiest in Vietnam, served 39.8 million passengers in 2024, down 2.1% compared to the previous year. However, the number of international passengers rose by 14% year-on-year, reaching over 16 million.
The rows of seats in the waiting area are nearly full, especially during the peak time slots from 10 p.m. to midnight when many international flights landed.
The airport reported that during the peak Tet travel period, from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15, it expects to handle over 4 million passengers from more than 26,000 flights, including over 1.5 million international passengers.
Compared to the same period last year, the total number of flights is projected to increase by 6.25%, while passenger numbers are expected to grow by 5.36%.
At 11:10 p.m., the information board continuously displays updates about flights arriving from abroad. On average, the airport handled more than 15 flights landing every hour.
At the exit, a designated path is reserved for passengers to walk into the lobby.
Security personnel are stationed nearby to ensure order, reminding relatives not to enter the passenger walkway to prevent crowding and chaos.
Many people reached the airport at least an hour before landing time.
Phuong Anh (pictured), a 5-year-old from Binh Duong that borders HCMC, comes to the airport with her mother to welcome her father, who has been working in Taiwan and is returning home for Tet.
The mother said that her husband only comes home once every two years, so they are filled with excitement and arrived early to wait for him.
After waiting for over an hour, Huynh Thi Cuc (L)'s family of eight, sit tiredly on the floor.
Cuc said the family had rented a car from Phan Thiet in Binh Thuan Province to travel three hours to the airport in the afternoon to pick up her mother, who was arriving from the U.S.
"It's been 20 years since my mother returned home for Tet, so my sisters and I are eagerly looking forward to the moment of reunion," Cuc said.
Outside the lobby, security personnel set up ropes to prevent people from crowding into the passenger walkways.
Dang Thi Tuyet Trinh, 42, from HCMC's Go Vap District, comes to welcome her close friend returning from the U.S.
"Even though I'm only staying in HCMC for one night before heading back to Ca Mau (in the Mekong Delta), I still came to pick her up to make her happy," Trinh said.

Hong Thu (2nd, L), 59, takes photos with her family at the airport. Having been to Australia for 19 years, this is the first time Thu has returned home for Tet.
"The previous times, because of my busy work, I usually returned in the middle of the year. This Tet, the whole family will definitely be very happy," Thu said.
To meet the travel demand, the airport has increased the number of take-offs and landings slots in some time frames to 48 flights during the day and 46 flights at night from Jan. 21 to Feb. 9.