In the past 10 years or so, many residents in Ho Chi Minh City have taken to sipping coffee at terraced cafés near Tan Son Nhat International Airport for gorgeous views of aircraft and air traffic activity.

Such venues, also dubbed “aircraft cafés,” have mushroomed in recent years along several streets near the airport, such as Quang Trung Street in Go Vap District and Hong Ha Street in Tan Binh District.

Unlike most cafés, which open throughout the day, aircraft cafés are generally open only in the early morning and late afternoon, as their owners tend not to use eaves for shade to maximize views of the airport.

Customers, who come here in groups of friends, families and couples, take great delight in seeing planes taxiing, landing and taking off in proximity while sipping coffee and other drinks.

“I have run my terraced café for almost ten years now. There were few such cafés back then, while many more have opened since,” said Tran Thi Ngoc Boi, owner of Dao Nguyen Café, at 101 Quang Trung Street, Go Vap District.

Ho Van Tien, the manager of Diem Hen Café, at 97 Quang Trung Street, also said his café targets a large number of clients who want to indulge in the pastime.

The cafés which line the street are typically packed in the evening, particularly around 8:00 pm.

Customers usually have to wait for a long while, particularly on weekends, for seats which offer the best panoramas of the airport.

The cafés are usually housed in buildings of three to four floors, and offer drinks at affordable prices, ranging from VND20,000 to VND60,000 (US$1-3), thanks to reasonable running costs, as Boi explained.

Furniture is simply styled, but should be weather-resistant, she added.

However, Tien, a real estate agent in Tan Binh District, said ideal terraced venues which offer the best views of the airport fetch even higher prices than those on the ground.

All the café owners reinforce their balconies with steel nets to ensure the safety of their customers, particularly children.

They also hang signs which discourage visitors from littering onto the roofs of neighboring houses.

While most people living near the airport are constantly vexed by the engine noise, customers at aircraft cafés, especially kids, are fascinated by the noise and sight of the aircraft in proximity.

The close distance even allows them to see certain outer parts of the planes during flight quite clearly.

Dang Thi Hien, a customer, said she usually takes her little son, who loves admiring aircraft, to such cafés in her leisure time.

Huynh Kim Muoi added she usually frequents aircraft cafés to relish the views of the planes and the special atmosphere.

Thanh Tam, an office worker, said she and her group of friends choose to go to different cafés for various perspectives of the aircraft and airport.

The sight of flying planes, especially when the “iron birds” are soaring overhead, arouses in her special feelings as if she were about to go away, Tam revealed.  

Thu Oanh, another patron of aircraft cafés, said she adores the draughty, spacious environs and the illuminated runways.

Photographers also choose the cafés as locations for aerial photo shoots.

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