Although there is still about a week until the Lunar New Year holiday, recorded on February 8 (ie December 21st of the lunar calendar), transportation gateways in Ho Chi Minh City have begun to become bustling. Many people and students carry bulky belongings, queuing to wait to return to their hometowns early to reunite.
According to Lao Dong Newspaper's records at Mien Dong Bus Station and the new Mien Dong Bus Station, the Tet atmosphere has been overflowing. From the waiting area to the passenger pick-up area, streams of people lined up with Tet gift packages and high luggage.
Notably, bus routes to the Central Highlands region such as Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak... recorded a sharp increase in passenger volume. Those returning to their hometowns early are mainly students from universities who have completed their studies and freelancers.
Mr. Ho Duy Minh (student, from Gia Lai) shared: "The bus departs at 12 pm, so I proactively got out almost 2 hours in advance to avoid traffic jams and definitely get on the bus on time.
To meet the demand, representatives of Duc Dat bus company (Ho Chi Minh City - Gia Lai route) said that the unit had to mobilize maximum capacity with about 25 sleeper buses/day, and at the same time proactively regulate vehicles to avoid local congestion at the station.
Leaders of Mien Dong Bus Station predict that the number of passengers will continue to increase sharply in the coming days. The unit recommends that passengers should actively book tickets early and be present at the station before departure time to ensure their journey.
At Tan Son Nhat airport, traffic pressure also began to increase. Inside the waiting halls, a bustling atmosphere enveloped, many people carrying bulky belongings and gifts lined up waiting for their turn to check in.
Carrying two boxes of Tet gifts and a large suitcase, Ms. Le Thi Ngoc (from Thanh Hoa) shared: "I had to take a few more days off to return to my hometown early because I was afraid of the crowded scene in the days leading up to Tet. Although I arrived at the airport 3 hours early, seeing the long line of people, I was a little worried. Although waiting was a bit long and tiring, but just thinking about the scene of having a family reunion meal tonight, all fatigue disappeared.
According to the operating plan of the Airport Operations Center, on February 8, this airport is expected to serve a total of 958 flights.
The total passenger volume through the port in the day is expected to reach 141,965 people. Of which, the departure flight with more than 81,700 passengers. Regarding flight operations, the airport will serve 476 departure flights (including 310 domestic flights, 166 international flights) and 482 arrival flights (including 309 domestic flights, 173 international flights). The domestic terminal alone continues to be a hot spot with more than 52,500 departure passengers, creating no small pressure on the operating infrastructure.
A bright spot in this year's operation is the role of Terminal T3. According to the plan, this new terminal alone has carried about 36.5% of the total number of passengers of the entire airport, serving nearly 52,000 passengers per day.
