The Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City has become the first airport in the country to receive 20 million passengers in one year, airport authorities announced yesterday, Dec 23. The 20 millionth passenger, Dang Vinh Ha was welcomed at the airport on a flight from Ha Noi yesterday.

Dang Tuan Tu, director of the airport, said the airport is expected to receive more than 20.14 million passengers this year, a year-on-year increase of 14 per cent, with international passengers accounting for more than 9 million.

The amount of cargo was estimated to rise by 10 per cent compared with last year to reach 375,000 tonnes, he said.

Early next year, the airport would begin to upgrade and expand its terminals to increase airport capacity to 25 million passengers and 600,000 tonnes of cargo per year.

The domestic terminal would be expanded to reach a total area of 39,450sq.m with a capacity to serve 12 million passengers per year.

The international terminal, which will operate at full designed capacity of 10 million passengers per year next year, will also be expanded to raise capacity to 13 million passengers per year.

"However, by 2017 the annual capacity will be 25 million passengers, which will be too many," Tu said. "It is pressing and necessary to build Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province to ease the burden on Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City."

There are 44 airlines operating domestic and international flights to and from Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines carried 9.4 million passengers to and from the airport this year, accounting for 46 per cent of the total passengers of the airport.

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam operates 22 airports, including nine international airports: Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai, Da Nang, Cat Bi, Phu Bai, Cam Ranh, Chu Lai, Phu Quoc and Can Tho.