

In the most short stopover, Vietnam is in the pattern of being favored by foreign and travelers more and more especially due to its strategic location. Lots of major airlines have a stopover in Vietnam which have final destination cities of Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, China, Australia and New Zealand.
Learning the major airports can help take your travel to the next level, optimizing connections and making scheduling simpler and thus saving money!
Vietnam has 10 major airports that handle international and domestic flights for the country. Three of them (Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City, Noi Bai in Hanoi, and Da Nang International) handle the bulk of international arrivals. The other seven serve regional and beach destinations and mostly handle domestic flights with limited international services.
Here is the complete list of major Vietnamese airports with their IATA codes:
The largest and busiest airport in Vietnam, Tan Son Nhat is the primary access point south of the country. It is the main airport for domestic and international flights into Ho Chi Minh City, and is located approximately 8 kilometers north of downtown. The airport consists of two terminals: Domestic Terminal (T1) & International Terminal (T2) with a variety of dining options, tax-free commercial shops and currency exchange. Travelers are advised to arrive early to facilitate check-in, as well as, to use fast-track services to speed up immigration processes at the airport owing to the high volume of traffic experienced in peak seasons.
58 kilometers (36 miles) from downtown Hanoi, Noi Bai is the largest of northern Vietnam’s two airports serving the capital. Situated about 45 kilometers (28 miles) from central Hanoi, it features numerous amenities, including lounges, restaurants and shopping centers. With footfall this year alone, the airport modernisation programme is a huge step up to train the pace of passenger growth. Transportation to and from the city is available via taxis, shuttle buses and ride-sharing services.
Being a network of many thousand tourists visiting the most charming part of the country, Da Nang is the utmost central airport of Vietnam. Conveniently, guests are within 2 km distance from some of the best highlighted locations such as Hoi An and Hue in the center of the city. Due to the rapid growth of tourism, the airport has undergone significant expansion in recent years, offering a variety of services to maximize passenger comfort.
The Cam Ranh International Airport is located just 30 km south of Nha Trang and serves the entire south-central coastal area. It has got terminal buildings to cater to the domestic as well as the international flights, to help cater for the burgeoning tourist inbound to the region. Food, souvenir shops, etc.
Opened in 2012, this up-to-date 1st-class airport helps the prosperous tourism on the island of Phu Quoc. It links to a number of Vietnamese cities and a few international destinations. Facilities are up to global level giving comfortable experience to the travelers.
Targeted at the northern port city of Hai Phong, Cat Bi International Airport is a gateway for destinations like Ha Long Bay. It operates a limited international network, with onboard passenger services to be offered, operationally as required.
Located in Vietnam’s agricultural heart, the Mekong Delta, this airport connects it to the rest of the world via air transport. While it primarily provides domestic services, the airport has the capacity to accommodate international flights.
Oh hey if you have a stop over of more than a day then we highly recommend doing the Can Tho tour of floating markets!
Lien Khuong Airport, located just outside of the town of Da Lat in the Central Highlands. It serves domestic fly and bears an exceptional architectural design type that is a nine for the host nations.
Phu Bai International Airport provides air service to the ancient city of Hue and features more domestic service than any airport in Central Vietnam, and it is slowly expanding its international footprint. It meets the needs of the former imperial capital’s visitors.
The first private airport in Vietnam, Van Don serves the Ha Long Bay area. It provides modern amenities and flies to several domestic destinations, with plans to fly internationally.
Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City is the busiest airport in Vietnam by passenger traffic and handles around 41 million passengers per year as of 2024. It is also one of the top 30 busiest airports in Asia. The airport is notoriously congested because it sits in central Ho Chi Minh City with limited room to expand.
Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) in Hanoi is the second-busiest at around 29 million passengers per year. Noi Bai has more room to expand than Tan Son Nhat and ongoing terminal upgrades will increase its capacity over the next decade.
The new Long Thanh International Airport is currently under construction about 40 kilometres east of Ho Chi Minh City and is scheduled to open in late 2026. When it opens, Long Thanh is designed to be the largest airport in Vietnam with an eventual capacity of 100 million passengers per year, which will overtake Tan Son Nhat as the country's primary international hub.
Comparison of the three biggest airports in Vietnam in 2026:
Vietnam has 22 commercial airports in total in 2026. Of these, 10 are major airports that handle scheduled international or significant domestic traffic, and the rest are smaller regional airports with limited domestic-only services.
By international vs domestic:
By region:
By IATA code (most useful for booking flights):
SGN, HAN, DAD, CXR, PQC, HPH, VCA, DLI, HUI, VDO, VCS (Con Dao), VKG (Rach Gia), TBB (Tuy Hoa), VCL (Chu Lai), PXU (Pleiku), VDH (Dong Hoi), DIN (Dien Bien Phu), BMV (Buon Ma Thuot).
The new Long Thanh International Airport (LTH or similar IATA code, to be assigned) will open in late 2026 about 40 km east of Ho Chi Minh City and will gradually take over international flights from Tan Son Nhat between 2026 and 2030.
Visa requirements: Be sure you’ll enter the country with the right visa or visa exemption. If you are having a stopover and you need a visa in Vietnam they have a pretty easy E-Visa process which you can apply for from the official Vietnam Visa website by the government.
Getting There: All airports offer a variety of taxi, shuttle bus and ride-share services. But it always best to confirm availability as well as the rates before availing any service. We highly recommend you stick with Grab taxis in Vietnam due to hassle free experience and transparency in their prices!
Airport Facilities: Large airports usually have plenty of restaurants and shops, while smaller ones might have minimal options. Take the initiative, particularly for long layovers.
Avoid Peak Seasons: Book flights for off-season days (when most can) as airports will be relatively less crowded. Check in early and, if available, use fast-track services to mitigate delays.
Your travel experiences may be thus more contributed with this overview of Vietnamese airport system, bringing you useful and smooth usages.
Get the latest information about our tours and special offers!