The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said Vietnam Airlines will suspend several domestic routes from April 1, including Cat Bi-Buon Ma Thuot, Cat Bi-Cam Ranh, Cat Bi-Phu Quoc, Cat Bi-Can Tho, Ho Chi Minh City-Van Don, Ho Chi Minh City-Rach Gia and Ho Chi Minh City-Dien Bien.
The carrier plans to cut between 700 and 1,700 return flights per month in the second quarter, equivalent to 10 to 20 per cent of operations depending on fuel price scenarios. International services may be reduced by 4 to 18 per cent, while domestic flights could fall by 12 to 26 per cent.
Airlines are prioritising the retention of historic slots and market presence on international routes while trimming underperforming domestic services and off-peak frequencies.
Budget carrier VietJet plans to reduce overall capacity by 18 per cent in April, including a 22 per cent cut in domestic services and 11 per cent in international routes. Adjustments include fewer flights on key routes such as Hanoi-Cam Ranh, Hanoi-Buon Ma Thuot, Ho Chi Minh City-Cat Bi, Ho Chi Minh City-Tho Xuan, Danang-Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City-Bangkok.
Bamboo Airways will scale back to 15 to 17 flights per day from more than 35 currently, focusing on core trunk routes and services to Quy Nhon.
Pacific Airlines plans to reduce capacity by 8 to 30 per cent in the second quarter, mainly by cutting off-peak services.
Sun PhuQuoc Airways will maintain around 60 flights per day for now, having secured fuel supplies through the end of April, while Vietravel Airlines will continue operating with two aircraft at 12 to 14 flights per day before expanding to up to 30 daily flights from late April as additional aircraft are added.
Authorities said domestic fuel supplies are expected to last until mid-April, after which airlines may need to source fuel at higher spot prices, prompting further adjustments if elevated costs persist.