Business · Vietnam Bureau
Vietnam's Civil Aviation Authority pushes carriers to expand domestic routes
Vietnam's aviation regulator has urged domestic airlines to identify new domestic routes and increase flight frequencies on existing services before the end of 2026 and into 2027. The push aims to strengthen the country's internal air network as carriers balance domestic expansion with growing international operations.
LSN Vietnam ·
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has called on domestic carriers to develop concrete plans for expanding their domestic route networks in the coming months, according to official guidance issued to the airline industry.
Director-level officials at the CAAV have instructed airlines to conduct comprehensive assessments of potential opportunities, including routes to be resumed after service suspensions, entirely new domestic routes, and existing services where flight frequencies could be increased. The authority has asked carriers to submit detailed implementation timelines covering the remainder of 2026 and the full year of 2027.
In developing these expansion plans, airlines have been directed to evaluate several key factors including current market demand, optimal fleet deployment strategies, and the long-term financial sustainability of proposed new services. The guidance reflects broader efforts by Vietnam's aviation regulator to stimulate domestic travel demand while ensuring carriers operate viable, sustainable operations.
The directive comes as Vietnamese airlines have recently expanded their international networks, with carriers like Vietnam Airlines launching new cross-border routes including direct services to Singapore. The push to strengthen domestic connectivity reflects efforts to maintain balanced growth across both domestic and international segments of the country's aviation market.
Photo: A Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321 at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City, June 2012. Aeroprints.com via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).