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.

Good for:

• 25L/R arrivals

• 25L lining up

• Airport overview

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.

Good for:

• 25L/R departures

• 07R arrivals

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:

Jetstar Pacific Airbus A320-200 lining up 07L

Locations Map

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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