MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines, through the Department of Tourism (DOT), continues to expand the country’s air connectivity with other countries within the Southeast Asian region as it officially welcomed VietJet Air’s inaugural direct service from Ho Chi Minh City to Manila last weekend.
DOT chief Christina Garcia Frasco hailed the new route as a strategic win for Philippine tourism, emphasizing the importance of strengthening ties with Vietnam, one of the region’s dynamic economies.
“We are delighted to welcome VietJet’s new direct flight, as this development aligns with the Marcos administration’s thrust to expand international connectivity and position the Philippines as a primary tourism hub in Asia,” Secretary Frasco said.
“As one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic outbound markets, Vietnam presents promising potential for tourism growth. The strengthened air links allow us to welcome more Vietnamese visitors to experience the warmth of Filipino hospitality and the beauty of our destinations,” the tourism chief added.
The inaugural flight, which has a maximum seat capacity of 240 passengers, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 at 2:50 a.m. with 213 passengers on board. Its return flight, meanwhile, departed Manila at 3:45 a.m., carrying 189 passengers bound for Ho Chi Minh City.
The DOT-National Capital Region welcomed the arriving passengers with a lei reception and series of cultural performances. VietJet executives led by Director of Commercial Division Ha Nang Viet, Assistant Terminal Manager Apolonio Mendoza, airport officials, Miss Cosmo Philippines 2025 Chelsea Fernandez, and representatives from the DOT Office of Market Development also joined the reception.
VietJet now operates five weekly roundtrip flights between the two countries: departures from Tan Son Nhat International Airport are set on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, arriving in Manila the following morning. Meanwhile, return flights leave Manila on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays, landing in Ho Chi Minh City within the same morning cycle.
Boosting air connectivity
THE additional direct flight further supports the DOT’s strategy to grow the Philippines’ already rapidly increasing presence in the Vietnam outbound market. From January to November 30, 2025, the Philippines recorded 31,085 arrivals from Vietnam, with a total market share of 0.60%.
Currently, Manila and Cebu are directly connected to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang via multiple airline carriers, such as Cebu Pacific Air, Philippine Airlines, and Vietnam Airlines.
The new Ho Chi Minh–Manila route adds to the expanding network of direct international flights connected to the Philippines, including the New Delhi–Manila service via Air India and recently launched routes to Australia such as Manila–Perth and Cebu–Brisbane, as well as direct flights from Canada, Paris, and several cities in the United States.
“As an archipelagic nation with 7,641 islands, over 99% of Philippine international tourism is dependent on air travel. That is how important air connectivity is for us, and that is also why we continue to strengthen our air connectivity with multiple countries so that tourists have easier access and seamless travel,” Secretary Frasco said, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to ensuring robust air connectivity.
IN PHOTO: Representatives from the DOT-National Capital Region and DOT Office of Market Development, together with VietJet executives led by Director of Commercial Division Ha Nang Viet, Assistant Terminal Manager Apolonio Mendoza, and Miss Cosmo Philippines 2025 Chelsea Fernandez, welcomed the arriving passengers of the maiden Ho Chi Minh-Manila flight with lei reception and cultural performances.