Vietjet to launch direct Colombo-Ho Chi Minh City flights
Newswire: Vietjet Air has announced its first direct flights between Sri Lanka and Vietnam, with a new Colombo-Ho Chi Minh City route set to commence in August 2026.
The announcement was made during the Sri Lanka–Vietnam Trade, Investment and Tourism Cooperation Forum held in Colombo in the presence of Vietnamese President and Communist Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya.
The airline said the new service will operate on four round-trip flights per week and is expected to strengthen tourism, trade, investment and people-to-people connectivity between the two countries.
Vietjet said travellers from Colombo will gain direct access to Ho Chi Minh City and convenient onward connectivity through its wider Asia-Pacific network, including destinations in Australia, Japan, South Korea and China.
Vietjet First Vice Chairman Dinh Viet Phuong said the new route would “open a new air connection between the two countries” and promote cooperation in trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchange.
The airline currently operates a fleet of 135 aircraft and has nearly 600 additional aircraft on order as part of its international expansion plans.
OSL take:
The announcement of Vietjet Air’s new direct Colombo-Ho Chi Minh City route, set to begin in August 2026, signals more than just improved connectivity – it opens a fresh corridor of opportunity for Sri Lanka across tourism, trade, and investment. For tourism, the direct link between Colombo and Vietnam’s commercial hub, Ho Chi Minh City, is expected to make Sri Lanka more accessible to a fast-growing Southeast Asian travel market. Easier travel often translates into increased visitor arrivals, especially from Vietnam’s expanding middle class, while also encouraging Sri Lankans to explore Vietnam’s tourism offerings in return. On the trade front, the route strengthens Sri Lanka’s position as a gateway between South Asia and Southeast Asia. Improved air connectivity can reduce logistical barriers for exporters, particularly in tea, rubber-based products, textiles, and seafood, while also creating space for Vietnamese goods and manufacturing inputs to enter Sri Lankan markets more efficiently. Business/investment prospects also stand to benefit. The announcement, made during the Sri Lanka-Vietnam Trade, Investment and Tourism Cooperation Forum in Colombo in the presence of Vietnamese President and Communist Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Amarasuriya, highlights growing political goodwill between the two countries. Such diplomatic momentum often lays the groundwork for joint ventures in aviation, logistics, tourism infrastructure, and even technology-driven services. Therefore, the move reinforces Sri Lanka’s ambition to re-establish itself as a regional aviation and trade hub in the Indian Ocean. Foreign businesses/investors could therefore confidently explore the expanding business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20260513/Z_1 |