At Noi Bai Airport, there are two terminals about 850 metres apart.
- Terminal 1 - an older and smaller building serving only domestic flights within Vietnam
- Terminal 2 - a modern terminal built in 2014, serves all international flights
Transportation between terminals
A free shuttle bus runs between the terminals via the public area ("landside") every 10-15 minutes from 5:00 am to 1:00 am, stopping directly in front of both terminals on Level 1.
This bus is free of charge.
Transfer between flights
Hanoi Airport is easy to navigate for transferring passengers and transfers are very quick if you don't have to change terminals.
International <-> International
If you are flying to another country via Hanoi and have both flights booked on the same reservation, you do not need to leave the transit zone.
Therefore, there is no need to arrange a visa for Vietnam either.
You do not need to worry about your checked baggage, it will be transferred automatically.
For international transfers, you always stay in Terminal 2 and only go through the security checkpoint specifically for transferring passengers.
The average transfer time between planes is between 20 and 40 minutes.
International <-> Domestic
If arriving from a destination outside Vietnam and continuing on a domestic flight within Vietnam, you must always move from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1.
Even if you have both flights on one connecting ticket, you must always leave the transit zone and move between terminals on your own. Airlines do not provide any self transfer between terminals.
- Immigration control
- Checked baggage reclaim
- Transfer to the other terminal (free shuttle bus stops on Level 1, frequency 15 minutes, operating hours 5:00-1:00)
- Baggage check-in / boarding pass collection
- Security check
In total, these procedures usually take 60 to 120 minutes depending on the queue at immigration control and the waiting time for the shuttle bus.
Domestic <-> Domestic
Transferring between two flights within Vietnam is very simple and you do not go through any checks during the transfer.
You get off the plane directly into the departure gate area and therefore the transfer usually takes 10 to 20 minutes.
