As the Lunar New Year holiday (Tet 2025) approaches, domestic flights from Ho Chi Minh City to several destinations are nearly sold out. In response, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has called for airlines to increase flights to meet the soaring travel demand.

Surging demand for flights

According to the CAAV, ticket bookings for flights during Tet, particularly from HCMC to central and northern provinces, have surged. Popular routes to cities like Da Nang, Hue, Nha Trang, Thanh Hoa, and Vinh are fully booked for the first day of the holiday period, January 25 (14th day of the lunar month).

Similarly, return flights to HCMC are experiencing a rapid increase in bookings, with some dates nearing full capacity. Routes from cities such as Pleiku, Tuy Hoa, Quy Nhon, and Thanh Hoa to HCMC are particularly affected.

On trunk routes, including HCMC–Hanoi and HCMC–Da Nang, seat occupancy rates between January 25 and February 2 (Lunar New Year’s Eve to the 5th day of the lunar month) have exceeded 80% for some dates.

Price disparities between outbound and inbound flights

The high demand for pre-holiday travel has driven up ticket prices for flights from HCMC to northern and central provinces. For example, on January 22, economy-class tickets on routes to Hanoi, Vinh, Hai Phong, and Thanh Hoa are priced at approximately VND2.9 million (US$120) before taxes and fees.

In contrast, due to the imbalance in demand, return flights from these provinces to HCMC are significantly cheaper. Airlines, including Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air, are offering promotional fares as low as VND90,000 (US$4), and some flights even feature tickets priced at VND0.

This disparity stems from the need to operate empty “ferry flights” to reposition aircraft for the busy outbound routes.

Measures to address travel demand

To accommodate the growing demand, the CAAV has directed key regional airports - including Tho Xuan, Dong Hoi, Chu Lai, Phu Cat, Pleiku, and Tuy Hoa - to operate 24/7 during the holiday season. This extended schedule allows airlines to increase the number of nighttime flights.

Additionally, local authorities have been urged to coordinate with transportation services, such as taxis and buses, to expand operating hours and frequency, ensuring seamless connectivity for passengers traveling to and from airports, especially for late-night flights.

The CAAV has also instructed Vietnamese airlines to add more flights on fully booked routes from HCMC to northern and central provinces in the days leading up to Tet.

Several airlines have introduced attractive fare promotions to stimulate demand for return flights to HCMC. Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways, and Vietravel Airlines are offering fares starting from VND0 to VND25,000 (US$1) on routes from Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Da Nang to HCMC.

These measures aim to alleviate the pressure on high-demand routes while maximizing efficiency during one of Vietnam’s busiest travel seasons.