Aviation: The pillar of expanding Vietnam's "soft border"

VTV.vn - The vision of expanding "soft borders" is being promoted by the race of airlines, creating more choices, better services and more stable ticket prices for people.

Strategic vision: "Soft borders" expand with the wings

In the context of deep integration, the role of the aviation industry is not limited to transportation. Speaking at the discussion session on the system of documents submitted to the 14th National Congress in early November, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that aviation development is a strategic pillar to expand the "soft border" and enhance Vietnam's position and competitiveness in the international arena. The Prime Minister emphasized that the aviation industry has a symbolic meaning for the country's position, where each new flight route is an important economic , tourism and trade connection. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh strongly affirmed: "Wherever Vietnamese planes fly, Vietnam's soft borders expand."

Delegates at the group listened to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh clarify a number of issues raised during the discussion on the draft documents of the 14th National Congress. Photo by Nhat Bac

According to the Prime Minister, to realize this vision, development thinking must harmoniously combine infrastructure, technology and business capacity, while encouraging resource diversification, especially public-private partnership in investment. The goal is not only to expand the regional flight network but also to participate more deeply in the aviation and aerospace sector, with the aspiration to "fly higher, fly further, even in outer space".

Newcomer Sun PhuQuoc Airways (SPA) stirs up the market

The Government’s strategic vision is clearly reflected in the revival of the aviation market. In particular, the event of Sun PhuQuoc Airways (SPA) officially entering commercial operation with the first flights to Phu Quoc on the morning of November 1 has caused the race to redistribute the market share to heat up rapidly.

Sun PhuQuoc Airways (SPA) officially began commercial operations with the first flights to Phu Quoc on the morning of November 1. Photo: SPA

Different from the traditional model, SPA is positioned as the first "resort airline" model in Vietnam. The airline aims to combine transportation with travel experiences, becoming an important piece in the comprehensive ecosystem of Sun Group. In the initial stage, SPA focused on exploiting main routes such as Phu Quoc - Hanoi, Phu Quoc - Ho Chi Minh City. However, the airline has shown great ambition when it plans to reach 25 aircraft by the end of 2026, aiming for 30 - 35 aircraft by 2027.

The acceleration of the "old man" and the "giant"

Not only new players, the market also witnessed the strong return of old airlines and the breakthrough growth rate of "giants".

After two years of restructuring that did not meet expectations, Bamboo Airways is transforming strongly after FLC Group took over management at the end of September. FLC announced the construction of a new development strategy for the period 2026 - 2030, focusing on strengthening financial capacity, re-planning the flight network and one of the airline's "most customer-pleasing" steps is to restore the premium Bamboo Club card levels to thank loyal customers.

Along with that, Vietravel Airlines is also witnessing a strong return to the race after being invested by T&T Group. The airline has switched from leasing to owning aircraft, bought two more and is expected to receive a new one soon. Vietravel Airlines' goal is to have a fleet of 30-50 aircraft by 2030, with a flight network covering Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and the Middle East.

In the leading segment, Vietjet and Vietnam Airlines are also accelerating. Vietjet, the leading airline in domestic (44.7%) and international (23.2%) market share in the first 8 months of this year, has recorded outstanding growth results. The airline has ordered 20 A330neo aircraft, becoming the airline with the largest A330neo order in the world, along with a historic order of 100 A321neo aircraft.

Vietnam Airlines is operating 21 domestic and 29 international destinations with an average of 400 flights taking off each day.

Vietnam Airlines is also planning to add 30 more wide-body aircraft from Airbus or Boeing with delivery scheduled from 2028. According to Vietnam Airlines Chairman Dang Ngoc Hoa, the project to invest in 50 more aircraft is the minimum need of the airline in the context of the huge demand for commercial aircraft from airlines around the world. Mr. Hoa revealed that if manufacturers cannot deliver aircraft to the airline before 2030, Vietnam Airlines may have to lease more aircraft in 2027 and 2028. To date, the national airline is operating 21 domestic and 29 international destinations with an average of 400 flights taking off per day. This year alone, the airline opened and restored 15 international routes to many key markets such as Italy, Russia, China, UAE, Japan, Korea, and India.

Consumer benefits: 2026 Tet ticket prices expected to remain stable

The fierce competition between airlines is bringing great opportunities for customers. After a long period of high airfares putting pressure on domestic tourism, the participation of new airlines such as SPA has caused ticket prices to hot spots such as Phu Quoc to cool down significantly.

Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communications Director of Vietluxtour, commented: "For the domestic tourism market, airfare is a big factor in the tour structure. If more airlines join with competitive prices, the market will benefit."

This assessment is completely reasonable as many passengers have started to benefit. Ms. Mai Lan, from Ho Chi Minh City, shared her experience flying to Phu Quoc during Tet: "For a family of three, the total cost of a round-trip ticket is only about 12 million VND, while last year she had to spend nearly 20 million VND for the same trip, not to mention the cost of accommodation and food."

Experts say that the new competition not only helps tourists enjoy "better service at more reasonable prices" but also creates incentives to stimulate demand for tourist destinations. Mr. Truong Quoc Hung, Chairman of the UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club, highly appreciated the SPA's model of integrating flight services with resort tourism, saying that this helps customers save time in choosing and creates opportunities for agents to design more flexible tours.

If this trend continues, experts believe that ticket prices for the Lunar New Year 2026 may be more stable than in previous years, making it easier for travelers to plan early, promoting sustainable development of the aviation and tourism markets. The race to regain a hot aviation market share is not only a business story but also a direct driver that benefits consumers, affirming that passengers will be the ultimate beneficiaries with more choices and more competitive prices.

Vietnam's aviation industry is proving itself to be an economic spearhead, constantly reaching out to realize the strategic vision of a country with a strengthened "soft border". The current vibrant competition is the necessary "headwind", motivating Vietnamese airlines to constantly improve service quality and operational capacity, contributing to the country's position to "fly higher and further" in the international arena.

Source: https://vtv.vn/hang-khong-tru-cot-mo-rong-bien-gioi-mem-viet-nam-100251114160622911.htm