Flight tickets to Nghe An for Tet 2026 are scarce and prices have increased significantly.
In the months leading up to the 2026 Lunar New Year, the airline ticket market is becoming increasingly heated as prices rise and many flights are sold out, especially on routes from Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces to Nghe An. Meanwhile, Vinh Airport is urgently completing upgrades to reopen in December 2025, serving the peak travel demand at the end of the year.
People are anxiously searching for tickets.
At this time, in many provinces and cities, especially in the South, people from Nghe An who live or work far from home are scrambling to buy plane tickets to return home for Tet. The journey home, already difficult, is even more stressful as ticket prices have doubled compared to normal days, and economy class tickets are becoming increasingly scarce.
Mr. Phan Van Tai, originally from Minh Chau commune and currently living and working in Ho Chi Minh City, shared that for the past week he has been almost "restless" trying to find plane tickets to return home for Tet (Lunar New Year) for his whole family.
“Last summer, I planned to take my wife and children to visit their grandparents, but Vinh Airport was temporarily closed for upgrades, so we had to postpone it. The whole family agreed to save the trip for the Lunar New Year. As soon as I heard the airport would reopen at the end of the year, I rushed to find tickets hoping for a good price. But in reality, the prices were exorbitant and tickets were extremely scarce,” Mr. Tài expressed.
According to Mr. Tai, February 11, 2026 (the 24th day of the 12th lunar month) was the most suitable date for his family of five to return to their hometown. However, upon checking the airline's ticketing systems, all economy class tickets for that date were sold out, leaving only business class tickets at approximately 6 million VND per ticket. "Calculated for the whole family, the total cost would be over 20 million VND, which is far too high compared to our income. My family is still discussing whether we should change the date to an earlier one or switch to a different mode of transportation," he added.
It's not just Mr. Tai's family; tens of thousands of people from Nghe An living in southern provinces share the same sentiment. Currently, the Ho Chi Minh City - Vinh route is always the fastest to sell out, as it's the route with the highest number of passengers among all routes to Nghe An.
According to our reporter's investigation, the number of searches and bookings for Tet holiday tickets has increased sharply on the online ticketing websites of Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways, as well as at reputable travel agencies. In particular, routes such as Vinh - Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh - Da Lat, Vinh - Buon Ma Thuot, Vinh - Can Tho… have all seen a surge in demand.
A survey of Vietnam Airlines' ticketing system shows that on February 11, 2026 (the 24th day of the 12th lunar month), there were 3 direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Vinh, but all economy class tickets were sold out, with only business class tickets remaining at over 6 million VND per flight. Meanwhile, 6 connecting flights to Hanoi and then to Vinh still had economy class tickets available, but all were priced above 5 million VND, and the travel time was extended from 5-9 hours instead of the nearly 2 hours of a direct flight.
Similarly, for Vietjet Air, on February 11, 2026, the airline had 9 direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Vinh, but many flights were completely sold out in economy class. Ticket prices currently range from over 3 million VND, double the usual price.
Currently, airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, and Bamboo Airways have planned to increase flights on key routes, especially Ho Chi Minh City - Vinh, Hanoi - Vinh, and routes from the Central Highlands and the Mekong Delta to Nghe An, to serve the high volume of passengers before and after Tet.
Authorities advise passengers not to buy tickets through unofficial sources to avoid the risk of fraud; they should proactively plan their return home 3-5 days earlier than the peak season or consider road transport if they cannot find suitable tickets.
Vinh Airport is ready to reopen in December 2025.
With travel demand surging during the year-end and Lunar New Year holidays, the upcoming completion of upgrades to the runway, terminal, and auxiliary facilities at Vinh Airport is attracting even more attention from the public.
Previously, Vinh Airport temporarily suspended operations from July 1, 2025, to implement a project to upgrade the runway, taxiways, expand the apron, and improve terminal infrastructure. The goal was to bring the airport back into operation by the end of 2025, coinciding with a period of strong travel demand.
Currently, all contractors involved in the project are mobilizing maximum manpower, machinery, and specialized equipment to race against time and ensure completion on schedule. According to representatives of the Project Management Board, this is one of the largest construction projects at Vinh International Airport to date, with a series of important components. Meanwhile, the total construction time is only about 180 days, requiring all units to utilize maximum manpower and technical measures to ensure progress.
To meet the deadline, contractors organized continuous construction in "3 shifts, 4 teams," working both day and night, taking advantage of every hour when the weather was favorable. However, construction progress still faced many obstacles due to the complex weather patterns in Central Vietnam recently. Typhoons No. 5 and No. 10 also affected the construction schedule. Nevertheless, all units affirmed their determination to both ensure technical quality and strive to complete the project on schedule to promptly serve the increased travel demand during the end of the year and the Lunar New Year.
Mr. Nghiem Manh Tuan, Director of Vinh International Airport, said: "Currently, the entire construction force is focusing intensely and working overtime to accelerate the progress of the various components. The terminal, runway, and many auxiliary facilities are now basically complete. The airport aims to hand over and put it into operation on schedule in December 2025, ensuring safe and smooth passenger service as soon as it reopens."
Bringing Vinh Airport back into operation soon is not only a wish of the people of Nghe An province but also contributes to reducing pressure on airlines, increasing the supply of Tet holiday tickets, and ensuring smooth transportation connections during the peak travel season at the end of the year.
Currently, Vinh Airport has a designed capacity of 2.75 million passengers per year, with 21-26 flights per day. According to the plan, by 2030, the airport will increase its capacity to 8 million passengers per year, and reach 14 million passengers per year by 2050.