China–Vietnam ties continue to warm.
When many airlines are still cutting routes due to persistently high fuel costs, Vietnamese carriers are continuing to expand capacity into China’s second- and third-tier cities.
On April 15, VietJet Air announced the launch of five new direct routes between China and Vietnam:
- Hanoi – Hangzhou
- Hanoi – Enshi
- Hanoi – Huangshan
- Huangshan – Ho Chi Minh City
- Ho Chi Minh City – Guilin
Among them, the Hanoi–Enshi and Ho Chi Minh City–Guilin routes began operations in early April, with 1–2 weekly flights. The Hangzhou and Huangshan routes are expected to launch soon.
From a network perspective, this expansion is clearly targeting China’s lower-tier cities. Enshi, Huangshan, and Guilin are all popular tourism destinations, while Hangzhou serves as a key gateway in the Yangtze River Delta. Direct links to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City help fill gaps in connectivity between Vietnam and regions such as the Wuling Mountains and southern Anhui.
This suggests that VietJet is extending its China network beyond major gateway cities toward higher-growth tourism destinations and regional markets.
Looking more broadly, VietJet’s China strategy is also tied to deeper industrial collaboration.
On April 19, 2025, two C909 aircraft wet-leased from Chengdu Airlines to VietJet were deployed on routes serving Hanoi, Con Dao, and Ho Chi Minh City, marking the commercial debut of Chinese-made aircraft in Vietnam.
More recently, VietJet also signed a finance lease agreement with SPDB Financial Leasing to introduce 10 C909 aircraft. The deal was reached during a visit to China by Vietnam’s new leadership and forms part of a broader package of bilateral agreements.
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