AIRPORT REPORT: VIETNAM’S AIRPORT SYSTEM
Ho Chi Minh’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Nguyen Nguyen Hung enthuses: “The terminal has allowed us to set
new standards of customer service at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Among them is the ability to clear passport control in under three minutes. “In our duty free and souvenir shops, passengers can purchase
not only world-class brand names but also elegant, easy-to-carry Vietnamese souvenirs. The terminal has its own healthcare centre, entertainment facilities and even a place where passengers can relax and have a massage while waiting for their flights.” It is also expected to boast an impressive range of commercial
outlets that will help boost SAC’s non-aeronautical related revenues. In terms of the design, a series of rooftop skylights help draw
natural sunlight into the terminal while a slanting curtain wall along T2’s exterior façade avoids glazing on the apron. Granite flooring throughout the public spaces of the terminal building matched with bright aluminium ceiling panels are designed to create a ‘pleasing ambience’. SAC is also quick to point out T2’s ‘green’ credentials, noting that
in addition to energy saving technology it also contains flora and fauna throughout. Indeed, a landscaped pond in front of the complex is designed to help keep the main entrance to the terminal and a nearby car park cool during the hot, dry summer months and act as a water saving facility during the rainy season. A nearby technical building with its own sewage plant ensures that
all wastewater from the terminal is collected and treated to minimise T2’s impact on the environment. Conveniently located just six kilometres north of downtown Ho Chi
Minh city, TSN also boasts a dedicated domestic terminal which prior to the opening of T2 was the main passenger terminal. Ever increasing passenger numbers, however, ensure that TSN’s development programme is far from done and SAC is now planning
to expand both terminals to ensure that the gateway is capable of handling 25mppa by 2015. In essence, this means doubling the capacity of the domestic
terminal to 13mppa to allow for an additional two passenger boarding bridges and adding a 10,700sqm extension to the international terminal. Although no start date has been set for the expansion of the
international passenger complex, construction work on the domestic terminal is due to start next year. The airport currently handles around 46,000 passengers per day
as a total of 40 airlines operate an average of 330 flights daily to destinations across the world. Vietnam Airlines, perhaps not surprisingly, is the biggest
operator at the airport followed by Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific and low-cost carrier Tiger Airways. Despite planning for a new airport for Ho Chi Minh City being
at an advanced stage, SAC’s chairman remains philosophical about the future. “There is still a long, long, way to go before Long Thanh
International Airport becomes reality,” cautions Nguyen Nguyen Hung. A joint stock company established for the project includes eight
state owned banks and corporations. SAC is responsible for proposing the master plan for Long Thanh International Airport. “It is expected that the airport will replace Tan Son Nhat Airport
in the future as it will not be able to handle the predicted increase in demand for passengers and aircraft movements. When it opens, Tan Son Nhat might become Ho Chi Minh’s domestic airport.” Its many supporters will be hoping that it does because there
aren’t many modern airports in the world where the journey to the city centre is so fast and convenient.
AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2010 AW 39
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