International arrivals at Vietnam airports grow 176% in Q1

International visitors to Vietnam reached about 321,000 in the year to March 25, up 176% year-on-year, with routes connecting to Japan being the most busy, the Civil Aviation Authority reported.

Flights between Vietnam and Japan carried 10,300 people, accounting for 18% of the total passengers on international routes.

As of March 25, 23 foreign and Vietnamese airlines (Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air and Bamboo Airways) operate on 67 routes between Vietnam and 20 countries and territories.

Compared with pre-pandemic times, eight destinations have not reopened regular flights to and from Vietnam, including Brunei, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Macao, Finland, Italy and Switzerland.

In the period from March 15, when Vietnam fully reopened its tourism market to international visitors, to March 21, Singapore Airlines recorded the biggest frequency of 45 round-trip flights per week, up two flights compared to the week before the reopening. That was equivalent to 36% of the figure in the same period of 2019.

Domestic passenger transport reached 13 million people, down 13% year-on-year.

Six airlines in Vietnam are operating an average 55-60 domestic routes connecting Hanoi, Da Nang and HCMC with 19 local airports.

As specified by the Ministry of Health, foreign entrants by air need to submit a negative RT-PRC test within 72 hours or a rapid test (antigen rapid test) in 24 hours of departures.

In the absence of a Covid-19 test, visitors must limit stopping and contact with others when traveling from the border gate to their residence in the first 24 hours. After a negative test result, they are free to travel.