Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City in top 10 busiest flight routes in the world, European routes 'absent'

Domestic flights between Hanoi (HAN) and Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) continue to be in the top 10 busiest domestic routes in the world in 2024.

Fourth place in the picture is the Hanoi (HAN) - Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) route, in the top 10 busiest routes in the world - Source: OAG

The Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route is ranked fourth, with 10.6 million seats this year, according to statistics from OAG, the leading organization in tourism and aviation statistics.

Vietnamese airlines compete fiercely on Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route, why?

Topping the top 10 list is the route from Jeju (CJU) to Seoul (GMP) with 14.2 million seats, up 3% from 2023 and 19% from 2019.

The Chitose (CTS) to Tokyo Haneda (HND) route comes in second place with 11.9 million seats, while Fukuoka (FUK) to Tokyo Haneda (HND) ranks third with 11.3 million seats.

Fifth place belongs to the Melbourne (MEL) to Sydney (SYD) route, with 9.2 million seats.

Asia accounts for eight of the ten routes on OAG’s list. The Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route alone served more than nine million passengers last year, accounting for 22 percent of total domestic passengers, while also contributing to ensuring revenue and profits for Vietnamese airlines, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.

Airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways, Pacific Airlines and Vietravel Airlines all operate the Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route with the highest frequency in the country.

This route, approximately 1,200km long, is considered a strategic connection between the two largest economic and political centers in Vietnam. The route meets the diverse needs of businessmen, official passengers and tourists.

With average ticket prices ranging from 1.5 - 3.5 million VND/ticket/way for economy class, airlines have taken full advantage of the ability to fill seats at 80 - 90% thanks to the large and stable travel demand all year round.

On Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route, airlines increase wide-body aircraft operations - Photo: CONG TRUNG

Domestic flights in Europe are "absent" from the world's top 10

According to OAG's 2024 report, no domestic routes from Europe or North America are in the top 10 busiest routes in the world, despite these being two regions with large air passenger volumes.

In North America, although there are some crowded domestic routes such as Vancouver - Toronto, OGA statistics reached 3.5 million seats or Atlanta - Orlando is 3.47 million seats.

According to an aviation expert's analysis, in Europe the distance between major cities is not too far. Public transport systems such as high-speed trains such as TGV (France), ICE (Germany) and Eurostar help connect major cities effectively at speeds of up to 300 - 350 km/h. This encourages people to prioritize trains over planes.

In contrast, Asia has the advantage due to its large area and population concentrated in large cities. Traveling by plane becomes the optimal choice for long journeys. Countries such as China, Japan, India and Vietnam have a higher demand for domestic aviation because the railway infrastructure has not been able to completely replace the role of aviation.

Travel habits also play a role. Asia’s rapidly growing middle class has led to a growing demand for air travel, while Europeans and North Americans prefer trains or cars for short trips.

Despite being absent from the top 10 busiest domestic routes in the world, airlines in Europe and North America still maintain many busy international routes such as New York - London or New York - Paris.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ha-noi-tp-hcm-lot-top-10-chang-bay-ban-ron-nhat-the-gioi-duong-bay-chau-au-vang-bong-20241218200910263.htm