Vietnam's flag carrier Vietnam Airlines is advancing large-scale added and new services on its European and Asian routes in the summer 2026 schedule (May-October). The biggest highlight is the Hanoi-Amsterdam direct flight launching June 16 (three flights a week on the A350), which will be the first nonstop route connecting Vietnam and the Netherlands. In addition, Ho Chi Minh City-Manila goes from 8 to 15 flights a week, and Hanoi-Shanghai from 14 to 18. Including the London Heathrow route (already launched in March, five flights a week on the B787-9), the European network expands to a setup of 12 routes and 8 cities in all.
The full picture of the route expansion: 12 European routes plus a list of added flights to major Asian cities
Organizing the main changes in the summer 2026 schedule by route, they are as follows.
| Line | Change details | Flight frequency | Aircraft used | Start date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanoi–Amsterdam | New service | 3 flights a week, | Airbus A350 | June 16, 2026 |
| Hanoi-London Heathrow | New service already launched | 3 flights a week, | Boeing 787-9 | March 29, 2026 |
| Ho Chi Minh City-London Heathrow | New service already launched | 2 flights per week | Boeing 787-9 | March 29, 2026 |
| Ho Chi Minh City-Manila | Added flights (8 to 15) | 15 flights a week | A321 | May 31, 2026 |
| Hanoi-Shanghai | Added flights (14 to 18) | 18 flights a week | A321 | Summer 2026 |
| Hanoi-Phnom Penh | Added flights (10 to 15) | 15 flights a week | A321 | Summer 2026 |
| Ho Chi Minh City-Phuket | New service already launched | Five flights a week | A321 | April 12, 2026 |
On European routes, alongside the existing Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Milan, Copenhagen, and Moscow, London and Amsterdam are added, making a network of 8 cities and 12 routes in all—the largest ever.
Background: Q1 2026 international passengers up 19% year on year to 13.9 million
Vietnam Airlines' large-scale added flights are directly against a backdrop of the rapid expansion of Vietnam's aviation demand. International passengers in the first quarter of 2026 reached 13.9 million, up 19% year on year. Inbound demand from China, Korea, and Japan in particular accounts for about 40% of the total, in tandem with a situation whereVietnam's foreign tourists hit a record high of 6.76 million.
Looking at Vietnam's aviation industry as a whole, VietJetnewly launched Ho Chi Minh City-Nagoya and Fukuoka routes in Aprilandwill open a Hanoi-Prague route in July—the LCC side is also rapidly expanding European and Japan routes. Furthermore, with Vietravel Airlines resuming Hanoi-Bangkok on April 24 and Sun PhuQuoc Airways launching Phu Quoc-Seoul on April 17, Vietnam-originating international routes are in a state of the airlines competing with each other.
A deep read of the hub strategy: the division of roles among four airports
From Vietnam Airlines' summer 2026 schedule, a strategic division of roles among four international airports can be read.
Hanoi (Noi Bai Airport)is strengthened as a gateway to Europe and China. The new Amsterdam service, three London flights a week, and the added Shanghai flights are all to and from Hanoi. It aims to capture business demand originating in northern Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat Airport)handles connections to within ASEAN and to Oceania. The 15-flight-a-week Manila setup and the new Phuket service respond to leisure and business demand within Southeast Asia.
Da Nangspecializes in Northeast Asia (Korea, Japan, China) routes, with a division of labor with VietJet advancing.Phu Quocis narrowed to resort direct flights, strengthening resort access originating in the Korean market, such as Sun PhuQuoc Airways' Seoul route.
Local reactions: "An Amsterdam direct flight has finally happened," "More Manila flights are good news for Filipinos in Vietnam"
On Vietnam's aviation forums and social media (Flyertalk Vietnam, Facebook aviation groups), reactions like the following are seen (paraphrased, anonymous).
"The Hanoi-Amsterdam direct flight is a long-awaited route. It used to take over 18 hours via Bangkok or Singapore, but now you can go in 12."
"The Manila flight going to 15 a week is big for Ho Chi Minh City's Filipino community. The options for weekend visits home dramatically increase."
"The London route's B787-9 has good business-class seats. The fare from GBP 799 is also competitive compared to going via Emirates."
Impact on Japanese travelers: expanded transfer options and the benefit of fare competition
Direct flights from Japan to Vietnam are already plentiful, but Vietnam Airlines' European-route expansion offers new options for the transfer demand of "a European trip via Vietnam." For example, the route Narita to Hanoi to Amsterdam can have a shorter total flight time than going via the Middle East in some cases.
The added Asian flights also positively affect multi-city trips from Japan. A tour route of Ho Chi Minh City to Manila to Tokyo can now be built at the high frequency of 15 flights a week, lowering the hurdle for a two-country Southeast Asia tour. The London route's fare starts at GBP 799 (about 160,000 yen), a level fully competitive with European carriers' direct flights.
| Route example | Fare guide | Yen conversion | Time required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanoi-London (one way) | GBP 799〜 | From about 160,000 yen | About 12 hours |
| Hanoi-Amsterdam (one way) | Unannounced (estimated GBP 750-850 equivalent) | About 150,000-170,000 yen | About 11.5 hours |
| Ho Chi Minh City-Manila (round trip) | About 3 million-5 million VND | About 18,000-30,000 yen | About 3 hours |
| Ho Chi Minh City-Phuket (round trip) | About 2.5 million-4 million VND | About 15,000-24,000 yen | About 2 hours |
Ripple effects on the industry: Vietnam-originating international-hub competition heats up in earnest
Vietnam Airlines' expansion shows that Vietnam has entered a stage of competing in earnest with Thailand and Singapore as a Southeast Asian international aviation hub. The 12-route European setup is a scale rivaling Thai Airways' European network.
Meanwhile, Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport is nearing its terminal capacity limit, making the construction of a third terminal (T3), slated for completion in 2028, an urgent task. Ho Chi Minh City is also about to see the start of operations of the first phase of Long Thanh International Airport, which was slated to open in October 2025, and expanding airport infrastructure holds the key to clearing the bottleneck on route expansion.
Practical information: a summary of the main new routes in summer 2026
| Airline | Line | Launch date | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam Airlines | Hanoi–Amsterdam | June 16 | 3 flights a week, |
| Vietnam Airlines | Hanoi-London | March 29 (already launched) | 3 flights a week, |
| Vietnam Airlines | Ho Chi Minh City-London | March 29 (already launched) | 2 flights per week |
| Vietnam Airlines | Ho Chi Minh City-Phuket | April 12 (already launched) | Five flights a week |
| VietJet | Hanoi-Shizuoka | April 28 | Unannounced |
| Vietravel Airlines | Hanoi-Bangkok | April 24 | Unannounced |
| Sun PhuQuoc Airways | Phu Quoc-Seoul | April 17 | Unannounced |
Summary
Vietnam Airlines' summer 2026 schedule reflects a phase in which Vietnam's aviation industry is accelerating its shift from an "intra-Asia carrier" to a "global-network airline." With the new Amsterdam service, Europe reaches 8 cities and 12 routes, and the large added flights to Manila, Shanghai, and Phnom Penh strengthen connections within Asia.The introduction of the B787-9 on the London routeCombined with this, for Japanese travelers too, the itinerary options have widened dramatically, including a "European trip via Vietnam" and combinations witha Phuket direct flight. Bookings can be made via the official website (vietnamairlines.com).
