The expanded international terminal of Tan Son Nhat International Airport was put into operation on October 26, raising its annual capacity from ten million to 13 million passengers in the first phase.

The extended section of the first phase includes the ground floor and two upper floors, with a total area of 8,780 square meters, connected to the east of the existing International Terminal T2. The new section will provide more waiting lounges for passengers and seven extra boarding gates. In addition to the expansion, the airport will offer two free services, namely a 100-square-meter chaise lounge and a 40-square-meter playground for children.

The number of passengers going through the airport in January-September reached 24.3 million, up 24.33% year-on-year, of which international visitors reached 8.82 million, surging 15.6% year-on-year in the period.

The expansion project is implemented in two phases. The terminal is expanded towards the east in the first phase at a total cost of VND1.52 trillion (US$69.8 million). The second phase costing VND787 billion will commence at the western side of the terminal after the first phase is finished.

Once finished, the terminal will have a total area of 115,834 square meters, an increase of 22,000 square meters. The terminal will have 120 check-in counters, up by 40, 10 passenger boarding bridges, up by two, and 19 boarding gates, up by seven. The expansion will increase the capacity of Tan Son Nhat’s international terminal from the current 10 million passengers to 13 million a year.

Airports Corporation of Vietnam has put the cost of the expansion project at VND2.31 trillion, with money for consulting and management packages coming from the corporation’s investment development fund.

Tan Son Nhat Airport Services Company (SASCO) on the occasion launched a sleep pod service at this terminal. The service consists of ten sleep pods for passengers waiting for connecting flights.

SGT