The Soaring Airfare to Con Dao Impedes Tourism: What Does the Ministry of Transport Have to Say?

Responding to the petitions of voters and the National Assembly delegation of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, the Ministry of Transport (MoT) stated that due to infrastructure limitations, Con Dao Airport is currently unable to accommodate large aircraft such as the A320 and A321 and can only receive smaller planes such as the ATR72 and Embraer E190, limiting access to Con Dao.

Following the suspension of Bamboo Airways’ Hanoi-Con Dao route as part of their restructuring, only Vietnam Airlines and its subsidiary VASCO are operating flights to Con Dao using ATR72 aircraft. They are currently serving the Ho Chi Minh City-Con Dao route with 16 round trips per day and the Can Tho-Con Dao route with five round trips per week.

“This has reduced the number of tickets available on routes connecting Con Dao with other localities, especially during peak seasons such as holidays and tourist seasons. The demand exceeds supply, which has indirectly kept airfares to and from Con Dao at a high level,” the MoT stated.

The MoT has directed the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to inspect the ticket sales of Vietnamese airlines, ensuring that airfares on routes to Con Dao comply with regulations on domestic passenger transport fare frames.

At the same time, the ministry also advised passengers to purchase tickets from the official channels of airlines and plan their bookings in advance to obtain more reasonable prices.

To improve operations at Con Dao Airport, the MoT and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam have urged and facilitated Vietnam Airlines to enhance its services to Con Dao and encouraged other carriers to join. They are also exploring aircraft options compatible with the airport’s infrastructure and planning additional routes to the island.

“The involvement of other airlines on routes to and from Con Dao will increase seat supply, provide more choices for passengers, help alleviate ticket shortages during peak seasons, and better meet the travel demands of the people,” the MoT stated.

Previously, in their petition, the National Assembly delegation of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province pointed out the increasing demand for tourism to Con Dao Island, especially during holidays and festivals. However, locals and tourists often face difficulties in obtaining plane tickets due to frequent ticket shortages, sold-out flights, or extremely high prices.

Regarding the proposal for financial support policies for helicopter transfers, the MoT explained that helicopter operations to Con Dao and other airports are under the purview of the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation, a unit under the Ministry of Defense. Therefore, the MoT does not have the authority to address this matter.