Vietnam Airports: The Complete 2026 Guide to Every International and Domestic Airport

Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia’s busiest travel destinations, and its aviation network reflects that growth. Whether you are flying into Hanoi for the first time, connecting through Ho Chi Minh City to reach the Mekong Delta, or hopping between beach towns like Da Nang and Phu Quoc, understanding Vietnam airports will save you time, money, and unnecessary stress. This guide breaks down every major airport in the country, explains how the network is organized by region, and gives you practical, up-to-date advice for navigating airports in Vietnam in 2026.

Vietnam currently operates 22 commercial airports. Ten of these handle international traffic, while twelve serve purely domestic routes, connecting smaller provinces and tourist hotspots to the country’s main hubs. A brand-new airport, Long Thanh International Airport, began limited operations in December 2025 and is scheduled for full commercial opening in December 2026, making this an especially important year to understand how the country’s airport map is shifting.

Below, you’ll find a full breakdown of every major airport, a regional map of the network, comparisons to help you pick the right airport for your itinerary, and practical tips for immigration, ground transport, and connecting flights.

How Many Airports Does Vietnam Have?

Before diving into specifics, it helps to understand the shape of the network. Vietnam’s civil aviation authority classifies its airports into two broad categories:

• International airports (10 total): These handle scheduled international flights alongside domestic routes. The three largest — Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai, and Da Nang — carry the vast majority of the country’s passenger traffic.
• Domestic-only airports (12 total): These serve provincial capitals, tourist destinations, and smaller cities, connecting travelers to the international gateways via short domestic hops.

This structure means that most travelers visiting Vietnam will pass through one of the ten international airports at least once, even if their final destination is a smaller regional city reachable only by domestic flight.

Vietnam Airports by Region

This regional spread means that no matter where your trip is headed — the mountains of the north, the beaches of the central coast, or the Mekong Delta in the south — there is very likely an airport within a short drive of your final destination.

Major International Airports in Vietnam

These are the airports most travelers will actually use, either as an entry point into the country or as a domestic connection hub. Below is a detailed look at each one.

1. Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) — Ho Chi Minh City

Tan Son Nhat is the busiest of all Vietnam airports, handling around 41 million passengers a year and ranking among the top 30 busiest airports in Asia. Located only about 8 kilometers from downtown Ho Chi Minh City, it is remarkably close to the city center compared to most major international gateways — but that convenience comes with a tradeoff.

Because the airport sits inside dense urban development, it has very little room to expand, and it is notoriously congested during peak hours, both in the terminals and on the surrounding roads. The airport currently operates through two main terminals: Terminal 1 for domestic arrivals and departures, and Terminal 2, which has five passenger lounges and handles international flights. A new Terminal 3 has been under construction and is intended to relieve pressure on Terminal 1 once operational.

Tan Son Nhat is served by all of Vietnam’s major carriers — Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, Bamboo Airways, and Pacific Airlines — along with dozens of international airlines connecting Ho Chi Minh City to East Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America (usually via a connecting hub).

Good to know: With the phased opening of Long Thanh International Airport nearby, some of Tan Son Nhat’s congestion is expected to ease over the next few years, though Tan Son Nhat will likely remain the primary domestic hub for southern Vietnam for some time yet.

2. Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) — Hanoi

Noi Bai is the main gateway for northern Vietnam and the second-busiest airport in the country, handling roughly 29 million passengers annually. Located about 28–35 kilometers from central Hanoi, it has considerably more room to expand than Tan Son Nhat, and ongoing terminal upgrades are expected to increase its capacity meaningfully over the next decade.

In fact, a major expansion project broke ground in 2025 to increase the capacity of International Terminal T2 from 10 million to 15 million passengers a year. The project added tens of thousands of square meters of floor space, new check-in counters and kiosks, additional baggage belts, and more jet bridges — and the expansion was completed in 2026.

This makes the Hanoi airport one of the most consistently improving facilities in the country. It’s the natural entry point if your Vietnam itinerary begins in the north, covering destinations like Hanoi’s Old Quarter, Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, or the mountain town of Sapa.

3. Da Nang International Airport (DAD)

Da Nang International Airport is the third-largest of Vietnam’s international airports, built originally in 1940 and now sitting just 3 kilometers from Da Nang’s city center — making it one of the most centrally located airports in the country. It’s an increasingly popular entry point for travelers heading to central Vietnam’s beach resorts, as well as the nearby heritage towns of Hoi An and Hue.

Around five domestic airlines and more than 30 international carriers fly into Da Nang airport, including Korean Air, China Eastern, China Southern, and several other regional East Asian airlines, reflecting Da Nang’s popularity as a beach and golf destination for travelers from South Korea, China, and Japan.

4. Cam Ranh International Airport (CXR) — Nha Trang

Cam Ranh serves the resort city of Nha Trang and the surrounding coastal region, one of Vietnam’s most popular beach destinations. It has grown quickly over the past decade as Nha Trang’s tourism industry expanded, and it now handles a substantial mix of domestic flights and direct international charters, particularly from Russia, South Korea, and China.

5. Phu Quoc International Airport (PQC)

Phu Quoc Island, in the Gulf of Thailand, has become one of Vietnam’s fastest-growing tourism destinations, and its airport reflects that. Phu Quoc receives direct international flights from destinations including Singapore, Taipei, Kaohsiung, and seasonal charters from cities as far away as Moscow, Yekaterinburg, and Novosibirsk, alongside dense domestic connections to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho. In late 2025, ownership of the airport’s assets was formally transferred to a major private tourism developer, part of a broader push to expand the island’s capacity for international arrivals.

6. Van Don International Airport (VDO)

Van Don, opened in 2018, was Vietnam’s first privately built and operated airport. It serves the Ha Long Bay area in Quang Ninh province and currently handles mostly domestic routes, with international expansion plans in progress. For travelers wanting to skip the road transfer from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay, Van Don offers a useful, if still developing, alternative.

7. Cat Bi International Airport (HPH) — Hai Phong

Cat Bi serves the port city of Hai Phong and is a useful alternative gateway to the Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island region in northern Vietnam.

8. Phu Bai International Airport (HUI) — Hue

Phu Bai connects directly to the historic imperial city of Hue, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is a convenient alternative to flying into Da Nang and taking a longer road transfer.

9. Lien Khuong International Airport (DLI) — Da Lat

Located in the Central Highlands, Lien Khuong serves Da Lat, Vietnam’s cool-climate hill station known for its lakes, waterfalls, and flower farms.

10. Vinh International Airport (VII)

Vinh, in Nghe An province, is a smaller international airport that primarily handles domestic flights — around 26 flights a day — with a growing passenger base of roughly 7 million per year. Despite its “international” designation, most of its traffic remains domestic, and it functions as a regional connector rather than a major gateway.

Domestic-Only Airports in Vietnam

Beyond the ten international gateways, twelve domestic airports in Vietnam connect smaller cities and tourist regions purely within the country. These airports are essential if your itinerary includes destinations off the main tourist trail. Notable examples include:

• Dien Bien Phu (DIN): Serves the remote northwestern province near the Laos border, historically significant as the site of the decisive 1954 battle.
• Buon Ma Thuot: The coffee capital of the Central Highlands.
• Dong Hoi (VDH): The gateway to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and its famous cave systems.
• Phu Cat: Serves Quy Nhon, a growing beach destination on the south-central coast.
• Con Dao (VCS): A small island airport serving the Con Dao archipelago, known for pristine beaches and sea turtle conservation.
• Can Tho (VCA): The main gateway to the Mekong Delta.
• Rach Gia: A secondary access point to the southwestern Mekong Delta and a ferry connection to Phu Quoc.
• Tuy Hoa, Pleiku, Chu Lai: Smaller central and highland airports serving provincial capitals with limited flight frequency.

These domestic-only airports typically have a single small terminal, limited flight schedules (often just one or two flights per day), and are served almost exclusively by Vietnam Airlines’ regional subsidiary, VASCO, alongside VietJet Air and Bamboo Airways on some routes.

Long Thanh International Airport: Vietnam’s Next Major Hub

No discussion of Vietnam airports in 2026 would be complete without covering Long Thanh International Airport (IATA: LTH), the country’s most significant aviation project in decades.

Located about 40 kilometers east of Ho Chi Minh City in Dong Nai province, Long Thanh is designed to eventually handle up to 100 million passengers a year, which would make it the largest airport in Vietnam by a wide margin once fully built out. The airport achieved a technical inauguration in December 2025, and its first terminal is scheduled for full commercial opening around December 2026. It is being built as a future hub for Vietnam Airlines and is intended to relieve the chronic overcrowding at Tan Son Nhat.

Long Thanh’s first phase includes two parallel 4,000-meter concrete runways, positioning it to handle large long-haul aircraft comfortably. Ground transport connections are planned, including a light rail line linking the airport to Ho Chi Minh City’s Thu Thiem area and a future North-South express railway.

For travelers planning trips to southern Vietnam in late 2026 and beyond, it’s worth checking which airport — Tan Son Nhat or Long Thanh — your flight will actually use, since the transition period may see some international routes shift between the two.

How to Choose the Best Airport in Vietnam for Your Trip

With ten international airports to choose from, picking the best airport in Vietnam for your itinerary depends largely on where you’re headed first. Here’s a simple way to think about it:

• Starting in the north (Hanoi, Halong Bay, Sapa, Ninh Binh): Fly into Noi Bai (HAN).
• Starting in central Vietnam (Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue): Fly into Da Nang (DAD), or Phu Bai (HUI) if Hue is your first stop.
• Starting in the south (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta): Fly into Tan Son Nhat (SGN), or Long Thanh once it opens for full commercial service.
• Beach-first itinerary: Consider flying directly into Cam Ranh (Nha Trang) or Phu Quoc rather than routing through a major city first.
• Multi-region trip: Many travelers fly an “open-jaw” itinerary — arriving in Hanoi and departing from Ho Chi Minh City (or vice versa) — which avoids backtracking and works well with Vietnam’s north-to-south geography.

If your trip includes several regions, domestic flights between these hubs are frequent, fast, and generally inexpensive, with one-way fares often starting around $40 depending on the airline and how far in advance you book.

Vietnam Airport Transfer and Ground Transport Tips

Getting to and from Vietnam airports varies significantly by city, so it helps to plan ahead:

• Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat): The airport’s central location means taxis or ride-hailing apps typically take 20–40 minutes to downtown, depending on traffic. Grab (the regional ride-hailing app) is widely used and generally more predictable on pricing than street taxis.
• Hanoi (Noi Bai): Being farther from the city center, expect a 45–60 minute transfer. Airport shuttle buses, private transfers, and Grab are all reliable options.
• Da Nang: With the airport just minutes from the beach hotel strip, transfers are usually under 20 minutes.
• Smaller regional airports: Taxi availability can be limited, so it’s often worth arranging a hotel pickup or pre-booking a transfer in advance, especially for early morning or late-night flights.

A general rule across all airports in Vietnam: always agree on a fare or confirm the meter is running before a taxi departs, and use official airport taxi ranks or reputable ride-hailing apps to avoid overcharging, which remains a common complaint among first-time visitors.

Visa and Immigration at Vietnam’s International Airports

Vietnam’s e-visa system allows most eligible nationalities a 90-day visa that can be used for entry through several major international airports, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Cam Ranh, and Van Don. This system has made independent, multi-city travel around Vietnam considerably easier than it was a decade ago, since travelers are no longer restricted to a single point of entry.

A few practical tips for immigration at any of Vietnam’s international airports:

• Apply for your e-visa well in advance — while processing is often quick, delays do happen, especially during peak travel seasons.
• Print a physical copy of your e-visa approval, even though most airports can access digital records, as a backup in case of system outages.
• Immigration queues at Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai can be long during peak arrival windows (typically early morning and late evening), so budget extra time if you have a tight connection.
• Some smaller international airports, like Van Don or Cam Ranh, tend to have much shorter immigration lines simply due to lower international passenger volume.

Airlines Operating Across Vietnam’s Airport Network

Three main carriers dominate domestic and international routes across Vietnam:

• Vietnam Airlines — the national flag carrier, with the widest domestic network and the most extensive long-haul international route map.
• VietJet Air — a major low-cost carrier flying to around 19 domestic destinations and more than 40 international destinations, with hubs at both Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai.
• Bamboo Airways — a newer full-service carrier competing on both domestic and select international routes.

Smaller regional carrier VASCO (a Vietnam Airlines subsidiary) fills in many of the thinner domestic-only routes to smaller airports like Con Dao, Ca Mau, and Rach Gia, often using smaller turboprop aircraft suited to shorter runways.

Practical Tips for Traveling Through Vietnam Airports

1. Arrive early for international departures: Aim for at least 2.5–3 hours before an international flight at Tan Son Nhat or Noi Bai, given security and check-in volume during peak periods.
2. Domestic flights need less buffer, typically 60–90 minutes, though smaller regional airports move faster still.
3. Double-check your terminal: Airports like Tan Son Nhat split domestic and international traffic across separate terminals that are not within easy walking distance — confirm which terminal your flight uses before you leave for the airport.
4. Currency exchange at major airports tends to offer weaker rates than in-city exchange counters or ATMs, so it’s often better to withdraw a small amount of Vietnamese dong at the airport and exchange more once in the city.
5. Connecting through smaller airports (like Vinh, Pleiku, or Chu Lai) may mean limited food and lounge options, so plan accordingly if you have a long layover.
6. Keep flexibility around Long Thanh’s opening: If you’re booking travel for southern Vietnam in late 2026, check which airport your itinerary actually routes through, since the transition from Tan Son Nhat is expected to be gradual.

Frequently Asked Questions About Vietnam Airports

How many airports does Vietnam have in total?

Vietnam has 22 commercial airports as of 2026 — 10 that handle international flights and 12 that operate domestic-only routes.

Which is the busiest airport in Vietnam?

Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City is the busiest, handling around 41 million passengers annually, followed by Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) in Hanoi at roughly 29 million.

What is the newest airport in Vietnam?

Long Thanh International Airport, near Ho Chi Minh City, is the newest major airport, having achieved a technical inauguration in December 2025, with full commercial opening expected around December 2026.

Can I enter Vietnam with an e-visa through any airport?

Vietnam’s e-visa is accepted at several — though not all — international airports, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Cam Ranh, and Van Don. Always confirm your specific entry point is on the approved list before booking.

Which airport should I fly into for Halong Bay? N

oi Bai International Airport in Hanoi is the standard gateway, though Van Don International Airport is a closer alternative if you’re heading directly to Ha Long Bay without stopping in Hanoi first.

Is it better to fly or take a train/bus between Vietnamese cities?

For long distances — such as Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City — flying is almost always faster and often comparably priced to overnight trains, especially when booked in advance.

Final Thoughts on Vietnam’s Airport Network

Vietnam’s aviation infrastructure has expanded rapidly over the past decade, and 2026 marks a particularly important turning point with the phased opening of Long Thanh International Airport. Whether you’re planning a single-city visit or a multi-region itinerary spanning the north, center, and south, understanding how Vietnam airports are organized — and which ones best match your travel plans — will make your trip considerably smoother. From the bustling international terminals of Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai to the smaller regional strips serving places like Con Dao and Dien Bien Phu, the country’s airport network reflects just how diverse a destination Vietnam has become.