Airlines have rolled out plans to add more flights to meet increasing travel demand during the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) season, which is scheduled from January 13 to February 12.

The Vietnam Airlines Group, which comprises Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, and the Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO), has announced it will increase its capacity by over 650,000 seats during the season, or more than 3,000 flights.

This brings its total seat numbers to 2.15 million and flight numbers to 11,000 during the festive period.

The additional flights will mostly be on routes connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi with Nha Trang, Da Nang, Phu Quoc Island, Vinh, Hue, Thanh Hoa, Quy Nhon, Pleiku, Chu Lai, and Dong Hoi.

Average seat occupancy for the Tet season has already reached between 70 and 80 per cent, airlines have reported. Meanwhile, passenger numbers are forecast to continue rising significantly in the months to come.