Tan Son Nhat International Airport
Continent: Asia | Country: Vietnam |
Tan Son Nhat International Airport | |
Location | Ho Chi Minh City |
IATA code | SGN |
ICAO code | VVTS |
Airport type | Mixed-Use Commercial |
Website | https://www.hochiminhcityairport.com/ |
Overview map | Google Maps |
Communications | |
Tower | 118.7 |
Ground | 121.9 |
Clearance | |
Approach | 125.5 |
ATIS | 128.0 |
Plane Spotting Hotels guide |
Official Spotting Locations
Most of the time, traffic uses 25R for arrival and 25L for departure. Occasionally, during high east wind season, there is a chance that they will use 07L for departures and 07R for arrivals instead.
All official spotting locations at SGN are located inside coffee shops, which makes accessibility to shelter, restroom, food & drink a lot easier compared to many other airports worldwide.
However, in tradeoff, the weather condition in Tan Son Nhat is usually not so ideal for spotting. It is usually cloudy with haze, decreasing the visibility. But everything should be fine as long as the sun is shining, you can do the de-haze during your post-editing work.
Bui Sai Gon Coffee Shop
Address: 792 Nguyen Kiem St., Ward 3, Go Vap Dist., Ho Chi Minh City.
To get here: When you arrive at the address above, do not enter the supermarket. Find the signs to the Coffee Shop outside, take the elevator up, and then take the stairs up for one more floor.
For more information about this location
- [What it offers]
Lighting is good in the morning.
Good for:
- All arrival traffic into runway 25
- 07L departures
Sample images:
Nok Air Boeing 737-800 is about to land toward 25R
Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 banking left after taking off from 07L
Lava Coffee Shop
Address: 61 Quang Trung St., Ward 10, Go Vap Dist., Ho Chi Minh City.
To get here: Just arrive at the address and take the stairs to the top floor.
For more information about this location
This location offers similar view to "Bui Sai Gon" place above, but closer to traffic on 25R finals.
Lighting is good in the morning.
Good for:
- All 25R arrivals
Sample images:
VietJet A321neo approaching runway 25R
Biman Bangladesh Airlines Boeing 777-200ER about to land toward runway 25R
Ngam May Bay Coffee Shop
Address: 389/24 Quang Trung St., Ward 10, Go Vap Dist., Ho Chi Minh City.
To get here: Just go directly to the address above, then follow signs for the coffee shop.
For more information about this location
This location offers a wide view into Tan Son Nhat Airport. This is probably the best place to observe all activities happen at the airport.
Lighting is good in the afternoon.
Sample images:
Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-300 landing 25R during thunderstorm
Singapore Airlines Airbus A330-300 ready to depart from runway 25L
Long Van Coffee Shop
Address: 602 Cong Hoa St., Ward 15, Tan Binh Dist., Ho Chi Minh City.
To get here: Arrive at the address, take the elevator up to 7th floor, then take the stairs up one more floor for the rooftop.
For more information about this location
This location is good for 25 departures as well as 07 arrivals. If you are lucky, when traffic doesn't make it to W4 exit and travel to the end of 25R, you can have great face-to-face shots of the aircrafts.
Lighting is good in the morning.
Sample images:
Air France Boeing 777-300ER departing from 25L
Face to face with EVA Air Boeing 777-300ER vacating runway 25R via W6
Cargolux Boeing 747-8F landing toward runway 07R
55 Coffee Shop
Address: 55 Pham Van Bach St., Ward 15, Tan Binh Dist., Ho Chi Minh City.
To get here: Just go to the address and take the stairs to the terrace.
For more information about this location
This location offers a side-view of traffic lining up 07L for departures. This is probably the closest-to-the-aircraft location when runway 07 is active.
Lighting is good in the afternoon.
Sample images:
Kalitta Air Boeing 747-400F departing from 25L
Vietnam Airlines lining up runway 07L for departure
Bay Coffee Shop
Address: 111/2 Pham Van Bach St., Ward 15, Tan Binh Dist., Ho Chi Minh City.
To get here: Just arrive at the address and take the stairs up to the rooftop.
For more information about this location
This place offers similar view to "55 Coffee Shop" above.
Lighting is good in the afternoon.
Sample images:
Locations Map
Locations to Avoid
If you walk around the aircraft approach & take off path, there could be some nice spot. However, that is not recommended because it might be dangerous exposing your expensive camera gear to many people.
Please keep in mind that Tan Son Nhat is also a military base. Therefore, do spotting at your own risk, do NOT take picture of military aircrafts & military facilities. If you got stopped by an officer, just calm down and tell them what you are doing. You should be okay as long as you are not doing anything illegal.
Regular Traffic
Passenger
Airline | Aircraft | Destinations |
---|---|---|
Aeroflot | Airbus A330-300, Boeing 777-300ER | Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport |
AirAsia | Airbus A320-200, Airbus A320neo | Johor Bahru Senai International Airport, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Penang International Airport |
Air Astana | Boeing 757-200 | Almaty International Airport |
Air China | Boeing 737-800 | Beijing Capital Airport |
Air France | Boeing 777-200ER, Boeing 777-300ER | Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport |
Air New Zealand | Boeing 787-9 | Auckland Airport (Seasonal) |
All Nippon Airways | Boeing 767-300ER, Boeing 787-8 (from May 1, 2018 [1]) | Tokyo Narita Airport |
Asiana Airlines | Airbus A321-200, Airbus A330-300, Boeing 747-400 | Incheon International Airport |
Cambodia Ankor Air | Airbus A320-200, Airbus A321-200, ATR72-500 | Phnom Penh International Airport, Siem Reap International Airport, Sihanoukville International Airport |
Cathay Pacific | Airbus A330-300, Airbus A350-900 Boeing 777-200, Boeing 777-300, Boeing 777-300ER | Hong Kong Airport |
Cebu Pacific | A320-200 | Ninoy Aquino International Airport |
China Airlines | Airbus A330-300, Airbus A350, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 777-300ER | Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport |
China Eastern Airlines | Airbus A320-200, Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-800 | Kunming Changshui International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport |
China Southern Airlines | Airbus A320-200, Airbus A321-200, Boeing 737-800 | Beijing Capital Airport, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, |
Chongqing Airlines | Airbus A320-200 | Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport |
Edelweiss Air (from November 16, 2018 [2]) | Airbus A340-300 | Zurich Airport (Seasonal) |
Emirates | Boeing 777-300ER | Dubai International Airport |
Etihad Airways | Airbus A330-200 | Abu Dhabi International Airport |
EVA Air | Airbus A321-200, Airbus A330,200, Airbus A330-300, Boeing 777-300ER | Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport |
Finnair | Airbus A330-300, Airbus A350-900 | Helsinki Vantaa Airport (Seasonal) |
Hong Kong Airlines | Airbus A320-200 | Hong Kong Airport |
Japan Airlines | Boeing 787-8 | Tokyo Haneda Airport, Tokyo Narita Airport |
Jeju Air | Boeing 737-800 | Incheon International Airport |
Jetstar Airways | Boeing 787-8 | Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, Sydney Airport |
Jetstar Asia Airways | Airbus A320-200 | Singapore Changi Airport |
Jetstar Pacific Airlines | Airbus A320-200 | Hub at Tan Son Nhat International Airport |
Korean Air | Airbus A330-200, Airbus A330-300, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 737-900ER, Boeing 777-200ER, Boeing 777-300ER | Incheon International Airport |
Lanmei Airlines | Airbus A321-200 | Siem Reap International Airport |
Lao Airlines | ATR72-500 | Pakse International Airport |
LOT Polish Airlines | Boeing 787-8 | Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (Seasonal) |
Malaysia Airlines | Boeing 737-800 | Kuala Lumpur International Airport |
Malindo Air | Boeing 737-800 | Kuala Lumpur International Airport |
Mandarin Airlines | Boeing 737-800 | Taichung Airport |
Nok Air | Boeing 737-800 | Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport |
Nordwind Airlines | Airbus A330-200, Boeing 777-200ER, Boeing 777-300ER | Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport |
Philippine Airlines | Airbus A320-200, Airbus A321-200 | Ninoy Aquino International Airport |
Philippines AirAsia | Airbus A320-200 | Ninoy Aquino International Airport |
Qatar Airways | Airbus A330-200, Airbus A330-300, Boeing 787-8 | Doha Hamad International Airport |
Royal Brunei Airlines | Airbus A320-200 | Brunei International Airport |
Scoot | Airbus A320-200 | Singapore Changi Airport |
Sichuan Airlines | Airbus A320-200 | Nanning Wuxu International Airport |
Singapore Airlines | Airbus A330-300, Boeing 777-200ER | Singapore Changi Airport |
Thai AirAsia | Airbus A320-200, Airbus A320neo | Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport |
Thai Airways | Airbus A330-300, Boeing 777-200, Boeing 777-200ER, Boeing 777-300, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-8 | Bangkok International Airport |
Thai Lion Air | Boeing 737-800, Boeing 737-900ER | Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport |
Turkish Airlines | Airbus A330-300 | Atatürk International Airport |
T'way Airlines | Boeing 737-800 | Incheon International Airport |
Vietjet Air | Airbus A320-200, Airbus A321-200, Airbus A321neo | Hub at Tan Son Nhat International Airport |
Vietnam Airlines | ATR72-500, Airbus A321-200, Airbus A330-200, Airbus A350-900, Boeing 787-9 | Hub at Tan Son Nhat International Airport |
VASCO | ATR72-500 | Hub at Tan Son Nhat International Airport |
XiamenAir | Boeing 737-800 | Xiamen Airport |
Cargo
Airline | Aircraft |
AeroLogic | Boeing 777F |
Air Hong Kong | Airbus A300F |
Cargolux | Boeing 747-400F, Boeing 747-8F |
Cathay Pacific Cargo | Boeing 747-400F |
China Airlines Cargo | Boeing 747-400F |
Emirates SkyCargo | Boeing 777F |
Etihad Cargo | Airbus A330-200F, Boeing 777F |
FedEx | Boeing 757-200F, Boeing 767-300F |
Korean Air Cargo | Boeing 747-400F, Boeing 747-8F, Boeing 777F |
Lufthansa Cargo | McDonnell Douglas MD-11F |
MASkargo | Airbus A330-200F |
Qatar Cargo | Airbus A330-200F, Boeing 777F |
Raya Airways | Boeing 757-200F, Boeing 767-200F |