In Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), coach stations have rolled out service plans to accommodate travelers in the ten days leading up to and following Tet. During this period, buses will operate around the clock to help passengers travel to their hometowns.
At the West Coach Station, travel is running smoothly with no major congestion, despite the gradual increase in passenger numbers. According to coach operators, the initial stage of the holiday season has seen more students heading home early for Tet, while the larger flow of office workers is expected to begin later.
On January 19, the West Coach Station served 27,300 passengers, with numbers set to peak between January 25 and 27. During this period, over 760,000 passenger trips are expected across nearly 34,000 bus journeys.
The new East Coach Station also saw significant traffic on January 19, serving over 7,000 passengers with 385 departures. The station expects a 103-percent year-on-year increase, reaching 140,000 passengers. Metro access has provided an additional travel option for commuters. The peak travel period to Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, and the Central Highlands is expected from January 24 to 29, with 9,000 coaches ready to transport 181,450 passengers.
At Nga Tu Ga Coach Station, passenger numbers are predicted to surge by 219 percent, surpassing 51,000 passengers. An Suong Coach Station anticipates a 59-percent increase, with over 79,000 passengers expected during the 20-day period, and daily peak numbers potentially reaching 7,000 passengers.
In terms of air travel, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) announced that airlines will add 586 flights from January 17 to February 12, connecting HCMC to northern, central, and Central Highlands provinces. The Hanoi-HCMC and HCMC-Hanoi routes are seeing the highest number of additional services.
To meet the demand, the CAAV and airlines have expanded their fleets by 14 aircraft, bringing the total to 212. Vietnam Airlines is operating 1,500 overnight flights, while Vietjet Air is running 1,590, mostly on routes between HCMC and northern and central Vietnam. Despite the increased flight schedule, all tickets for these routes are already sold out.
