The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has issued an official document requesting Vietnamese airlines to study, restore, and expand flights to local airports to enhance regional connectivity.
Accordingly, local airlines have to formulate detailed plans and submit reports before November 10.
The reports must specify routes expected to be restored, newly opened, or increased in frequency; timelines and implementation schedules for late 2026 and 2027; along with market demand assessments, fleet allocation plans, and operational sustainability.
According to Mr. Uong Viet Dung, Director General of the CAAV, the national airport system had received investment for upgrades, renovation, expansion, and step-by-step modernization, with several aviation infrastructure projects completed or being under construction, thus helping elevate handling capacity and creating favorable conditions to expand the flight route network and civil aviation activities.
The CAAV emphasized that air transport plays a key role in connecting localities and economic regions, boosting trade, attracting investment, promoting tourism, and meeting travel demand. Restoring and developing direct domestic flight routes between provinces also helps shorten travel time, improve accessibility to aviation services, tap regional potential, and optimize infrastructure investment efficiency.
Accordingly, the authority requested airlines to proactively review and comprehensively assess their current domestic route networks as well as suspended routes.
Airlines need to study the restoration of routes with strong market potential for travel, trade, tourism, and suitable operating conditions, while considering frequency increases on existing routes to meet the transportation demands of residents and tourists.
The CAAV also encouraged airlines to research opening new direct routes connecting localities, especially between economic and tourism hubs and key economic regions. These connections are expected to strengthen regional linkages, reduce travel time and costs, and lessen reliance on transit through major hub airports.
To implement these goals, airlines must coordinate with airport enterprises and aviation service providers to prepare operational conditions, gradually increase transport volume, and maximize infrastructure investment efficiency.
In addition, the CAAV requested airlines to strengthen coordination with local governments, airport enterprises, tourism agencies, travel companies, and related units to assess market demand, build promotional programs, develop tourism products, and link transport networks.
Airlines should also study cooperation mechanisms and support schemes for route development in line with legal regulations, ensuring a balance of interests among the State, localities, businesses, and citizens.
Airlines are also required to clarify difficulties, bottlenecks, proposals, and recommendations regarding infrastructure conditions, aviation services, local coordination mechanisms, and solutions to support route development.
Google translate