Vietnamese airlines have been forced to temporarily postpone flights to China until the end of April or May as they await a Chinese decision to allow passengers to fly to Vietnam, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV).
Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, there had been a total of 15 airlines operating flights between the two countries, of which 11 were Chinese airlines and four were Vietnamese carriers.
The transport volume in 2019 reached approximately eight million passengers, of which Vietnamese airlines transported over 4.6 million people, accounting for over 60% of the overall market share.
China is Vietnam’s second largest international market, behind only the Republic of Korean (RoK), with the majority of passengers being tourists.
In mid-February, the Chinese tourism industry announced the reopening of tours to 20 countries, and Vietnam was not included on the list.
After China lifted restrictions on regular international flights from January 8, Vietnamese swiftly devised plans to exploit the market, with a specific focus on official guests, businessmen, international students, and those who visit their relatives.
The use of this route is anticipated to increase gradually from April, with high hopes of welcoming additional tourists from the northern neighbour.
Several local airlines have formulated plans from Vietnamese cities to many destinations and cities throughout China in the form of regular and charter flights, aiming to accelerate the recovery of international tourism between the two countries from the 2023 Summer Flight Schedule, starting from March 28.