Passengers frustrated as flights delayed, canceled at Ho Chi Minh City airport

Airlines and airport authorities are working to resolve the issues.

H.T. from Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City, shared that his business trip to Hanoi was repeatedly delayed, severely affecting his work schedule.

In just five days, he experienced two delays with Vietnam Airlines—one lasting three and a half hours and another lasting four and a half hours. 

In both cases, he was already at the gate before being informed of the delays.

According to him, electronic boards showed no updates, and staff simply said the aircraft had not arrived.

For instance, flight VN258 from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi was delayed three times, with its original 5:00 pm departure first rescheduled to 5:45 pm, then 10:10 pm, and finally to 11:30 pm, totaling a delay of over six hours.

Many flights at Tan Son Nhat have been delayed without clear rescheduled times, with Vietjet being among the carriers of such flights.

For example, flight VJ895 from Ho Chi Minh City to New Delhi, India was scheduled to depart at 7:25 pm but was delayed until 11:00 pm. 

The no-frills airline later announced there was still no departure time due to aircraft parking issues, triggering complaints from passengers.

However, about 30 minutes later, boarding procedures resumed and the flight departed.

Passengers have also reported flight cancelations. One such case involved a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Thanh Hoa Province in north-central Vietnam being canceled because the flight crew had exceeded their allowable working hours.

As of midday on Tuesday, there had been no official statistics from authorities on the total number of delayed or canceled flights or affected passengers. 

However, observations at the airport indicated many travelers continue to struggle with flight disruptions.

A representative from Tan Son Nhat International Airport confirmed operational disruptions involving several airlines.

The airport has reported the issue to the Southern Airports Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam for timely intervention.

Airlines also announced schedule adjustments at Tan Son Nhat International Airport on Tuesday morning to prepare for the national reunification celebrations on April 30.

Previously, bad weather at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi caused several flights to divert to Vinh and Hai Phong airports, waiting for conditions to improve before continuing their journeys. This has created a domino effect of delays over the past few days.

Adding to the disruption is a recently confirmed development: Vietjet has officially ended its partnership with ground service provider SAGS, a subsidiary of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam.

In particular, Vietjet has stopped using SAGS’s check-in and baggage handling services, and the use of aircraft stairs, at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. 

The move had been rumored for a year, as Vietjet has been acquiring ground service equipment in preparation for self-handling operations—already implemented at Noi Bai International Airport.

With increased travel demand for the Reunification Day holiday from April 30 to May 4, the opening of the new Terminal T3, and continued weather-related delays in Hanoi, flight operations at Tan Son Nhat remain significantly affected.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has dispatched an inspection team to review operations at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.