Improving Services at Tan Son Nhat International Airport

 

According to Tan Son Nhat International Airport (TIA), the excessive volume of passengers will affect airport service quality. TIA units have introduced several measures to reduce overload pressures and improve service quality for passengers.

 

In an effort to improve service quality for passengers, increase utility services and reduce congestion in check-in areas during peak hours, advance successes and advantages of automatic check-in kiosks in the domestic terminal, TIA installed 13 automatic check-in kiosks at D1 Gate and D2 Gate in the international terminal. The operation of these check-in kiosks will give passengers more choices in addition to online check-in services, thus helping them reduce time, pick their preferred seats and reduce workload for check-in staff in rush hours.

 

In late August, TIA put into full use the parking area. The new 5-level parking site is capable of holding 4,000 motorcycles and 1,500 cars and has a dedicated area for taxis which will help ease taxi congestion. Managed by smart technology systems, the parking site controls traffic flow in and out.

 

At the aircraft parking ground in TIA, Southern Airports Services Joint Stock Company (SASCO) replaced two oversized busses in September 2016. These are the latest Cobus 3000 buses made by world-renowned Cobus Industries of Germany in 2016. The floor was lifted by pneumatic (compressed air) to ensure the appropriate height for passengers of all ages to step up or step down the bus safely and easily in a short time. In particular, with a large holding capacity of 110 passengers, the bus helps reduce vehicles in service, reduce shuttle trips, and reduce vehicles in traffic in the aircraft parking area.

 

Earlier, in August 2016, Tan Son Nhat Petrol Commercial Joint Stock Company (TAPETCO), a subsidiary of SASCO, officially operated the underground aviation fuelling system at TIA. This facility is connected with the jet bridge system where airplanes berthed can easily use this fuelling system. With high security and short refuelling time, this underground fuelling system will reduce refuellers in the aircraft parking ground, shorten the refuelling time and thus reduce overcrowding in the area.

 

In September 2016, the expanded international terminal also completed and put into operation the first phase of upgrading, thus raising the operating capacity, improving service quality and reducing the load for TIA.

 

TIA is expected to serve over 32 million passengers in 2016, exceeding the approved capacity of 25 million in 2020. Especially, the underground aviation fuelling system at TIA is projected to help reduce more than 12,000 refueller turnarounds in the aircraft parking ground and more than 5,000 waiting hours for aircraft refuelling each year.

A TIA representative said that it is essential to ensure the best supply of food and consumer goods to meet the diverse needs of passengers. TIA collaborates with SASCO and other enterprises to upgrade and diversify passenger services.

 

A SASCO representative said the company has carried out a plan to raise the quality of all air services such as restaurant, business-class rooms and SASCO shops. Specifically, in addition to Vietnamese cuisine, the SASCO restaurant system also gives customers more choices and experiences with Asian cuisines. Its "+84 café" system has constantly updated coffee, smoothie and drinks for customers based on seasons. Menus at "The Phoenix" restaurants are diverse and updated regularly, including vegetarian menus for Vu Lan Festival. In addition, opened in September 2016, the "Fresh to Go" convenience store system offers affordable essential goods and fast-foods like bread, rice, drinking water and coffee in the takeaway form for customers without high spending needs. Also in September, SASCO opened two duty-free services for passengers at the international terminal, including a children's playground (40 square metres) and seven sleeping chairs (100 square metres).

 

In its plan to upgrade business-class lounges, three business-class rooms at the international terminal, namely Rose, Apricot and Lotus (Vietnam Airlines and Skyteam), and Golden Lotus Lounge at the domestic terminal, have been upgraded and put into service. The SASCO business-class lounge system usually has a buffet zone featuring a variety of European and Asian dishes and vegetarian foods; a relaxation zone equipped with massage machines, shoe polishers, magazines and cable TVs; and a silent zone where passengers can take a nap or enjoy a bath. High-speed wifi hotspots, printers, fax machines and USB-standard rechargers for electronic devices are also provided to meet passengers' demands. SASCO is upgrading business-class lounges at the domestic terminal.