Vietnam’s domestic aviation sector is primarily led by two major airlines: Vietnam Airlines and VietJet. The low-cost carrier VietJet, based in Hanoi, operates a variety of domestic routes and short-haul flights across Southeast Asia. Additionally, it uses its fleet of seven Airbus A330s for long-haul flights to destinations such as Australia and India.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, the aviation market was expected to handle 78.3 million passengers in 2024, marking a 7.7% growth from the previous year. Data from Cirium suggests that VietJet will be nearly tied with Vietnam Airlines in terms of market share for 2024.
VietJet, which started operations in December 2011 as Vietnam’s first privately owned airline, has grown rapidly with approximately 100 aircraft currently operational and an additional 268 on order. The airline predominantly operates an all-Airbus fleet composed mainly of A320/A321 family aircraft.
In February 2024, four airlines are scheduled to operate a total of 18,135 internal flights within Vietnam. VietJet and Vietnam Airlines are set to dominate this space with around 90% market share combined. Specifically, VietJet is responsible for operating about 41.6% of these flights compared to Vietnam Airlines’ slightly higher figure at 42.2%. However, when including its subsidiaries—Vietnam Air Services Company and Pacific Airlines—Vietnam Airlines’ share rises to approximately 51.7%.
Bamboo Airways follows as the third significant player but has faced challenges over recent years leading to restructuring efforts under new ownership.
The air route between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City ranks as the fourth busiest globally with over ten million seats available annually.
VietJet offers several ticket classes ranging from basic “Eco” class without complimentary meals or beverages to “SkyBoss” class providing premium services including lounge access and priority boarding.
