Vietnam's Airlines Are Slashing Flights Starting April — Here's What Changed
Vietnam Airlines suspended 7 domestic routes, Vietjet cut 20% of domestic flights, and Bamboo Airways halved its schedule. A rundown of what's happening from April.
[Vietnam's Airlines Are Slashing Flights Starting April — Here's What Changed]
We've written several pieces on the oil crisis hitting Vietnam since the Middle East conflict escalated in early March.
This one skips the background and goes straight to what's actually changing from April 1.
▍ What each airline is cutting
Vietnam Airlines suspended seven domestic routes starting April 1: Hai Phong to Buon Ma Thuot, Cam Ranh, Phu Quoc, and Can Tho, plus Ho Chi Minh City to Van Don, Rach Gia, and Dien Bien.
That's 23 fewer flights per week.
Beyond the suspensions, the airline is also thinning out schedules across its remaining network — domestic flights are expected to shrink by 10 to 20 percent overall.
Vietjet is pulling back about 20 percent of its domestic flights in April, with international routes cut by roughly 10 percent.
Bamboo Airways got hit the hardest.
Daily flights dropped from 36 to just 15–17 — more than half gone.
The airline is concentrating on the Hanoi–HCMC–Da Nang trunk route and a handful of tourist destinations like Quy Nhon and Cam Ranh.
▍ The government's response
On March 26, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed Decision No. 482, waiving three taxes on gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from midnight that day through April 15: the environmental protection tax, VAT, and special consumption tax.
A triple tax exemption — rare for Vietnam.
The Ministry of Finance has already proposed extending it through June 30.
The Civil Aviation Authority also rolled out a domestic fuel surcharge mechanism, effective April 1 for three months.
Airlines can now add a surcharge pegged to the previous month's average jet fuel price on the Singapore exchange.
For a route like Hanoi to Da Nang, that works out to roughly 300,000 VND extra per ticket.
This is the first time Vietnam has allowed fuel surcharges on domestic flights.
Previously, domestic airfares had a price cap, and airlines had to absorb fuel cost swings on their own.
▍ What it means for travelers
Round-trip tickets between HCMC and Hanoi now run between 4.2 million and 5.6 million VND — up significantly from earlier this year.
Travel agencies expect summer package prices to rise 10 to 15 percent compared to last year.
International trips will cost even more, since fuel surcharges on overseas routes are set by each airline with no government price cap.
Tour operators are already pivoting to shorter trips and overland travel to avoid flying.
The bottom line: fewer routes, higher fares.
If you're planning to fly in or around Vietnam anytime soon — domestic or international — book early and have a backup plan.
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