Airport

Noi Bai's Terminal 2 Expansion Is Now Open

Hanoi's international terminal has been running noticeably busier in recent years — the airport's answer was a major expansion of Terminal 2, which opened in December 2025.

Last checked: August 2026

15Mpassengers/year capacity, up from 10M
18 monthsconstruction time
Dec 2025officially opened

What actually changed

The expansion lifts Terminal 2's annual capacity from around 10 million to 15 million passengers, adding more check-in counters, baggage belts and jet bridges. For travellers, the more noticeable change is the terminal's move toward automated processing — biometric and facial-recognition options at several checkpoints, along with next-generation 3D security screening that, in principle, means less unpacking of liquids and electronics at the scanner.

Why it matters if you're flying into Hanoi

Noi Bai has been handling steadily rising numbers of international arrivals, and the terminal was starting to show the strain at peak times — this expansion was built specifically to ease that pressure, particularly around the Lunar New Year (Tet) travel peak and the main tourist season. If your last visit to Hanoi was a few years ago, expect a noticeably different arrivals experience this time.

What hasn't changed

The airport's location and general layout are the same — Noi Bai still sits roughly 25–30km north of central Hanoi, and the transport options into the city (Grab, taxi, airport bus, private transfer) are unaffected by the terminal upgrade. See our full airport transport guide for current pricing and timing on each option.

Good to know: Terminal 2 handles international flights; Terminal 1 remains the domestic terminal. If you're connecting between a domestic and international flight, budget extra time for the shuttle between the two.

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