Vietnamese airlines are expected to increase their number of domestic flights by 32% to meet travel demand during the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.

The local aviation industry sees the increasing travel demand for Tet holiday. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) pointed out that the increase in flights operated by Vietnamese airlines, including Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Pacific Airlines, Bamboo Airways, and Vietravel, is more than 8,000, equivalent to 1.6 million seats, adding up to more than 33,000 or 6.7 million seats

The peak time is from January 6 to February 5, 2023, on the occasion of Tet holiday.

The increasing demand will primarily be seen on major routes, including Ho Chi Minh City – Hanoi/Danang/Dong Hoi/Vinh/Thanh Hoa/Chu Lai/Haiphong/Quy Nhon/Hue, and vice versa.

Under the adjusted plan, local airlines add 260 flights per day on average on all routes.

The route between the two largest cities, Ho Chi Minh City-Hanoi, is expected to have 1,901 flights during Tet holiday, 22% more than usual.

Earlier, Vietnamese airlines planned to operate over 25,000 domestic flights during peak times.

According to the CAAV, Vietnamese airlines operated more than 10,000 domestic flights during the previous Lunar New Year [from January 29 to February 6, 2022]. This was the time for the resumption of domestic air travel after a long period of stagnation due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, the restoration of scheduled international air connections was under a pilot plan.

Consequently, airlines’ revenue during Tet holiday, Vietnam’s most extensive festive period in a year, also plunged by 70%-80% against the 2021 period.

As the country fully reopened for tourism on March 15 this year, the Vietnam Aviation Business Association (VABA) forecasted the aviation industry to return to pre-pandemic levels soon.

In the pre-pandemic year of 2019, Vietnam's aviation industry experienced healthy double-digit growth to 116 million passengers.

For 2022, the CAAV forecast the number of air passengers in Vietnam would be 87.8 million, up 190% against 2021. The numbers of foreign and domestic passengers are expected at 5 million and 82.8 million, up 844% and 178.4%, respectively. 

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Vietnam is the world’s fifth fastest-growing aviation market and is forecast to handle 150 million passengers by 2035.

Up to 72 international airlines and five Vietnamese carriers are operating flights on 200 international air routes from 25 countries and territories to eight sites in Vietnam, including five major cities of Hanoi, Danang, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho and Haiphong, and Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, and Da Lat. 

Besides, the Vietnamese carriers are also flying a combined 48 domestic air routes to 22 airports.