Construction of Terminal 3 at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City is in its final stretch as workers race to complete the project by Reunification Day (April 30), according to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV).

A site visit by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters on Monday showed that installation and decoration work was moving quickly.

The main structures of Terminal 3 are essentially complete, with preparations for its inauguration progressing ahead of schedule -- two months earlier than initially planned.

Construction of Terminal 3 began in December 2022 and includes one basement level and four above-ground floors.

The project covers a total area of 112,500 square meters, with an investment of nearly VND11 trillion (US$430.7 million).

The terminal is equipped with 26 boarding gates, 89 check-in counters, 20 self-service bag drop stations, and 42 self-check-in kiosks integrated with Vietnam’s national population database.

Additionally, it has 25 security screening checkpoints, a dedicated lounge area for premium passengers to enhance service quality, a multi-story parking structure with commercial services, elevated roadways leading to the terminal, and an aircraft apron.

One of Terminal 3’s features is its dual-level design, which separates departure and arrival traffic to improve passenger flow and reduce congestion.

With around 3,500 workers operating around the clock, Terminal 3 is on track to begin operations as scheduled.

Once fully operational, it will accommodate more than 20 million passengers annually and handle up to 7,000 passengers per hour during peak times. 

This strategic expansion is expected to improve domestic travel at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, offering greater convenience and efficiency to passengers.

The new terminal aims to address persistent overcapacity issues at the airport, which has struggled for years to accommodate increasing passenger volumes. 

Currently spanning 850 hectares, Vietnam’s largest international airport has only two terminals: Terminal 1 (domestic) and Terminal 2 (international), originally designed to handle a total of 28-30 million passengers per year.

However, the airport has consistently exceeded 40 million passengers annually, particularly during holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year) celebrations.

Terminal 3 will accommodate approximately 80 percent of the airport’s domestic traffic, significantly reducing the pressure on Terminal 1.

Once the new terminal becomes operational, Tan Son Nhat Airport’s total capacity will increase to 50 million passengers per year, greatly enhancing efficiency and the overall passenger experience.

ACV has assured that the project is on schedule and will be ready in time for the upcoming holiday period, including Reunification Day and International Workers' Day (May 1).

To ensure a seamless launch, a trial run is scheduled for April 24 to 27, featuring a pilot flight on the Tan Son Nhat-Van Don route operated by Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet. 

Additional test flights on the high-traffic Ho Chi Minh City-Hanoi route will take place from April 28 to May 4. 

By May 5, both Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet will fully transition their domestic operations to Terminal 3, while Bamboo Airways, Pacific Airlines, Vasco, and Vietravel Airlines will continue operating at Terminal 1.

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