Vietnam Airlines is expanding its fleet with the addition of three new aircraft in December 2024, offering over 100,000 extra seats for the Tet holiday season. The carrier received the A320neo with the registration VN-A515 on December 7 and the Boeing 787-10, VN-A877, on December 8, with plans to add another A320neo later this month. With these additions, the airline’s fleet will grow to 103 aircraft, including 31 wide-body jets.
According to the national carrier, the Boeing 787-10 will serve domestic and Northeast Asian routes, while the Airbus A320neo will focus on domestic destinations.
Vietjet Air is also growing its fleet, having recently welcomed its 111th A321neo ACF aircraft. The airline expects to receive three more planes in December and will lease 6-10 aircraft on a short-term wet lease for the Tet holiday. Bamboo Airways and Vietravel Airlines are also expanding their fleets through wet leasing, with Bamboo Airways adding an A320 to its fleet, bringing its total to eight aircraft.
Data from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam shows that flights from Ho Chi Minh City to northern and central provinces during the days leading up to Tet have already reached 90-100% booking rates. Specifically, routes such as Ho Chi Minh City-Hue, Ho Chi Minh City-Pleiku, Ho Chi Minh City-Tuy Hoa, and Ho Chi Minh City-Quy Nhon are almost fully booked for January 25, 2025 (the 26th day of the lunar month).
Airfares are also surging for the Tet holiday. The Ho Chi Minh City-Hanoi route during peak days is priced from VND 2.9 million to VND 3.7 million per one-way trip, depending on the carrier. Notably, some airlines have increased fares by 20% for flights close to the holiday. Shorter routes, such as Ho Chi Minh City-Hue or Ho Chi Minh City-Quy Nhon, are also priced at no less than VND 2.37 million per one-way trip.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam stated that the total number of seats supplied during the 2025 Tet holiday season is expected to reach nearly 7 million, a 4% increase from the previous year. Of these, domestic routes account for 4.8 million seats, a 3.5% increase, while international routes offer over 2.1 million seats, a 4.6% rise. The authority is closely monitoring demand to adjust supply, especially on routes with high booking rates.
