Ho Chi Minh City’s new $424mn airport terminal leaks again during rain

At around 12:00 pm, rainwater was seen leaking through roof gaps in the ticket inspection and baggage conveyor area of Vietnam Airlines in Terminal T3.

Water flowed directly at the check-in counters, causing confusion among staff and passengers. 

Images captured at the scene showed water seeping through ceiling joints, creating long wet streaks.

Notably, this is the second time Terminal T3 of Tan Son Nhat International Airport, which has three terminals, has experienced rainwater leakage, raising concerns about the quality of the construction.

On May 7, Terminal 3 also encountered a roof leak during a heavy rainstorm. 

Rainwater seeped through the glass roof into the departure waiting area, causing a brief disruption as passengers waited to check in.

Speaking with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, a representative of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam, the project's investor, said they had directed the contractor to urgently inspect and address the issue.

Contractor: not a leak

A representative from Hanoi Construction Corporation (Hancorp), the contractor responsible for the roofing, confirmed to Tuoi Tre that the water flowed from the ceiling into the Vietnam Airlines area at noon on Saturday.

However, they stated this was not the same type of leak as during the previous rain.

According to Hancorp, rainwater from the terminal’s roof is collected via a system of gutters and drainage pipes leading to an underground manhole. One pipe joint had a faulty gasket, causing water to escape.

Because the pipe is vertical, the water pressure was high, resulting in a strong stream flowing onto the terminal floor.

Immediately after the incident occurred, the contractor sent engineers and workers onto the roof to inspect the entire drainage system. 

There is not any leakage now, the contractor’s representative confirmed.

The contractor replaced the gasket and sealed the joint on Saturday evening, the representative said, adding that the incident was brief and did not impact terminal operations.

The contractor said a comprehensive inspection is underway.

On May 7, Hancorp acknowledged the rainwater leak was an 'unfortunate incident.'

The issue did not stem from the aluminum roof structure or materials but from waterproof sealant at the joints peeling or coming loose during the finishing process.

Despite Hancorp's efforts to resolve the initial issue, the rain on Saturday showed that water leakage had not been fully addressed.

Construction of Terminal T3 began at the end of 2022. 

The facility was inaugurated on April 19 and officially began operations on April 30, marking the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the southern region and national reunification.

With a total floor area of more than 112,500 square meters, including one basement level and four above-ground floors, Terminal T3 is designed with separate departure and arrival areas.

It is equipped with 90 check-in counters, 20 bag-drop counters, 42 self-service kiosks, and 27 boarding gates. 

The parking and non-aviation service building covers 130,000 square meters, with two basement levels and four floors.

Terminal T3 is expected to serve 20 million domestic passengers annually, helping to ease the overload at Terminal T1 and increasing Tan Son Nhat International Airport’s total capacity to 50 million passengers per year.

All domestic flights operated by Vietnam Airlines have been moved to Terminal T3.

The Terminal T3 construction project is divided into three main contract packages. 

Of these, package 12—construction and equipment installation—has the highest value and was carried out by a consortium of six contractors, with Hancorp responsible for the roofing.

Hancorp has previously handled major projects such as the National Convention Center and Terminal T2 of Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, and Long Thanh International Airport in southern Dong Nai Province.

With tens of thousands of passengers passing through daily, ensuring the quality, safety, and uninterrupted operation of Terminal T3 is critical, while further construction during operations is not feasible.