Airlines in Vietnam have postponed the resumption of some routes to China in April or May. The move is to reportedly wait for Beijing's updated guidance on tourists visiting Vietnam. According to the South Asia News Agency, ANI, China announced it would reopen tours to 20 countries earlier this month. But Vietnam was not included in the list of countries, which affected the flight plans of some Vietnamese Airlines.

Plans postponed

On January 8th, China lifted restrictions on international flights. As the tourism industry continues to recover, Vietnamese carriers reportedly made plans on flights to the country, prioritizing passengers on business trips, leisure travelers to visit relatives, and students studying abroad. The number of flights was expected to increase from April, according to The Nation Thailand gradually.

Airbus A321neo Vietnam Airlines
Photo: Airbus

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), China's new policy has forced airlines to temporarily postpone resuming flights until Spring as they wait on the following decisions from China.

Effects of the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a lasting impact on Vietnam. In 2021, three major airlines in Vietnam suspended their regular schedules due to a surge in cases that coincided with a demand drop. The strict social-distancing measures also did not allow enough travelers to fly domestically, ultimately bringing the country's aviation industry to a standstill.

Before the pandemic, 14 airlines in Vietnam and China operated routes between the two countries. 11 airlines in China reportedly operated 32 routes from 14 destinations, including five in Vietnam, amounting to a total of 240 flights each way per week. Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific Airlines, and VietJet Air all operated 72 air routes from five destinations in Vietnam to 48 cities in China, with reportedly 421 total flights per week.

hong kong airport terminal with passengers walking
Photo: Sorbis | Shutterstock

The carriers transported nearly 8 million passengers in 2019, according to The Nation Thailand. Those numbers also included over 4.6 million passengers, equal to more than 60% flying Vietnamese airlines. China was reportedly the second biggest foreign airline market in Vietnam, after the Republic of Korea. Data from the CAAV also indicated that most passengers were tourists.

Returning to pre-covid levels

Despite the setback on routes to China, the CAAV announced a prediction that Vietnam's aviation market would fully recover from the impacts of COVID-19 lockdowns by the end of this year. Passenger traffic was predicted to increase 45% from last year and reach 80 million this year, a 1% growth compared to the pre-Covid numbers in 2019.

Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today.

While International air cargo also showed signs of slowing down during the pandemic, the CAAV believes the sector will grow by 15% to 1.44 million tons in 2023. The growth represents an increase of 14.8% from 2019.

More than 30 million passengers from Vietnam will reportedly travel internationally this year, three times the volume from 2022. The CAAV said it is already seeing high growth in the domestic market while the international market continues to recover, potentially reaching 2019 levels by the end of this year.

Sources: ANI, The Nation Thailand