Passenger gridlock hits Ho Chi Minh City airport following system outage

The issue began at around 10:00 am when a transmission error brought the airport’s exit system to a standstill.

Outgoing passengers failed to complete procedures for their flights, causing long lines in the departure area of the terminal.

“I’ve been waiting over 40 minutes,” said P., a passenger scheduled to fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok on an 11:35 am flight.

“It’s already 10:50 am and everyone is on edge.”

The situation was especially tense for passengers on flights with imminent departure times.

Many international travelers, including tourists and business people, were seen sitting on the floor in exhaustion, while their eyes fixed on their watches, afraid of missing their flights.

Airline staff were actively calming passengers, while coordinating with security and customs officers to prioritize those with fast-approaching departure times.

A representative from one airline said that the air carrier was prepared to rebook affected passengers if delays caused them to miss their scheduled flights.

The exit system recovered at around 11:10 am, allowing immigration counters to gradually resume operations.

However, some international passengers reported ongoing delays and incomplete processing due to system disruptions.

A customs officer at the airport confirmed that the incident stemmed from a transmission line failure, which caused the immigration system to freeze.

Once the issue was resolved, officers collaborated with airlines to expedite procedures for passengers with imminent departures.

In cases where flights were missed, airlines pledged to provide maximum support.

An aviation expert noted that the incident highlighted the urgent need to improve information technology infrastructure at airport immigration checkpoints.

Even a minor connectivity issue can disrupt the entire processing chain and inconvenience hundreds of passengers, the expert said.

This was not the first time major Vietnamese airports had experienced technical faults.

Aviation specialists warned that without robust contingency plans and immediate response mechanisms, such incidents will continue to pose risks to passengers and operational efficiency.