An aircraft from Vietnam Airlines at Vinh International Airport. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – The Vietnam Aviation Administration has reported that the Hà Nội - HCM City route has consistently ranked among the top four busiest domestic routes in the world.

According to data from air travel data provider OAG, the route recorded over 10.8 million seats sold between October 2022 and September 2023. It ranked behind the Jeju - Seoul route in South Korea, as well as the Fukuoka - Tokyo Haneda and Sapporo New Chitose Apt - Tokyo Haneda routes in Japan.

The route is responsible for transporting more than nine million passengers in 2023, accounting for 22 per cent of the total number of domestic passengers in the country. Furthermore, the route sees nearly 43,000 flights annually, which amounts to around 60 round-trip flights per day. This represents about 17.5 per cent of all domestic flights.

The recovery of domestic air travel in Việt Nam has been significant, with the market in 2023 almost fully recovering to pre-COVID-19 levels. The number of passengers travelling by air is expected to reach approximately 74 million, a 34.5 per cent increase compared to 2022. However, the recovery of the international market has been slower, although positive signs have been observed.

In terms of passenger transport output, domestic airlines are expected to transport a total of 56.4 million passengers in 2023, an increase of 15.8 per cent compared to 2022. International passenger transport is projected to reach 15.8 million passengers, almost double the number in 2022, while domestic passenger transport is expected to decline by 3 per cent compared to 2022.

Local airlines operate 66 domestic routes, connecting major cities like Hà Nội, HCM City, and Đà Nẵng with 19 other local airports. They operate over 600 flights per day. In addition to existing routes, new routes such as Cần Thơ - Vân Đồn, Hà Nội - Cà Mau, and HCM City – Điện Biên are planned for operation in 2023.

The recovery of international flight routes has been notable, with airlines gradually restoring services to traditional markets and expanding into new markets in Central Asia, such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Mongolia. Local airlines are also increasing flight operations to India and Australia.

Currently, there are 63 foreign airlines and five Vietnamese airlines operating 169 regular and charter international routes connecting Việt Nam with 28 countries and territories. — VNS