Noi Bai Airport Faces Passenger Chaos After Ride-Hailing Pickup Point Changes

Passengers at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi are facing significant inconvenience and confusion following recent changes to the designated pickup and drop-off points for ride-hailing services like Grab. Under new regulations implemented from August 3, private car services (under 9 seats) are no longer permitted to pick up passengers at the arrival halls of Terminal 1 (domestic flights). Instead, they must use a parking lot located over 300 meters away, near Sảnh E. Thu Minh, arriving from Phu Quoc, described her struggle to find her pre-booked ride-hailing driver. "My husband had arranged for a familiar driver to pick us up. Normally, we would wait at Sảnh A, but now we have to go to the parking lot near Sảnh E. We spent over 30 minutes walking with our luggage and child," she recounted. Minh noted that many foreign tourists also appeared lost due to insufficient signage. At Terminal 2 (international flights), ride-hailing vehicles are directed to the P1 parking lot, approximately 400 meters from the arrival hall. Hoa, returning from Bangkok, spent 10 minutes trying to locate the new pickup zone. He eventually had to ask his driver to walk into the terminal to meet him. "Airport taxis are over VND 500,000 to Ha Dong, while ride-hailing is just over VND 300,000," Hoa explained, highlighting the cost incentive to navigate the new system. Some foreign tourists have reportedly canceled their ride-hailing bookings due to the difficulty in finding the pickup location and language barriers with drivers providing directions. Industry experts suggest that airport management should explore solutions such as allowing ride-hailing services into the arrival halls during off-peak hours, improving signage, and enhancing pedestrian infrastructure, including covered walkways and accessibility for the disabled. Some propose charging ride-hailing services a fee to foster fair competition with airport taxis. In response to the issues, the Noi Bai International Airport management stated that the traffic redirection aims to improve security, order, and safety. They acknowledged the initial confusion and impact on passenger experience. Effective August 5, adjustments were made. For Terminal 1, ride-hailing vehicles (under 9 seats, yellow license plates) are now allowed to pick up passengers at Lane 3 in front of Sảnh E, with a maximum stopping time of 3 minutes. At Terminal 2, a covered waiting area has been established at the P1 parking lot. To further assist passengers, airport staff in orange vests are stationed at the first floor of both terminals to guide them to the service vehicle pickup zones.