VietJet Axing Hanoi – Australia Flights

VietJet is axing its flights to Australia from Hanoi (HAN) but will increase its flights from Ho Chi Minh (SGN). As reported in Aero Routes, the low-cost carrier is ending its twice-weekly Hanoi – Sydney (SYD) flights on September 27, 2025, and its twice-weekly Hanoi – Melbourne (MEL) flights on October 3.

In recent years, VietJet has expanded rapidly into Australia and discounted heavily to attract passengers. The most recent data from the Australian Government’s Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics covers May 2025 and reveals that 16,834 passengers travelled between an Australian airport and Hanoi that month, almost double the 8,960 passengers for May 2024.

But many of those passengers are not flying on VietJet. The data does not distinguish between flights between Australia and Hanoi and Australia and Ho Chi Minh, but on average, VietJet sold only 54.8% of its seats on flights from Australia to Vietnam in May and 66.7% of its seats on flights from Vietnam to Australia in the same month – giving it an average passenger load of 60.75%. In contrast, Vietnam Airlines, which also flies between Hanoi and Sydney and Hanoi and Melbourne, had an average passenger load of 81.8% on its Vietnam – Australia routes in May.

An average 60.75% passenger load is unsustainable for a low cost-carrier, which typically operates on thin margins and relies on full aircraft and high ancillary sales for its profits.

VietJet offered more seats and flights on the country pair in May - 62,236 seats across 176 flights, compared to Vietnam Airlines' 52,307 seats across 171 flights.

Going forward, VietJet will service its Australia network from Ho Chi Minh and will increase some of those flights.

Effective November 10, the current five round-trips per week between Ho Chi Minh and Melbourne will increase to six, before increasing to daily from December 5.

Likewise, flights between Ho Chi Minh and Sydney will increase from the current five round-trips per week to six from November 12, before increasing again to daily services from December 6.

The existing four round-trips per week between Ho Chi Minh and Brisbane (BNE) are remaining unchanged, as are the three round-trips per week between Ho Chi Minh and Perth (PER).

VietJet axed its Ho Chi Minh – Adelaide (ADL) flights in October 2024, less than one year after starting them. VietJet said it did so “to reorganise and optimise its fleet’s operational effectiveness and efficiency.”

VietJet reports profits – most recently a circa USD61 million profit for the first six months of 2025. However, a UK High Court recently slapped the airline with a massive USD181 million penalty for failing to pay aircraft leases. VietJet complained having to pay would wipe it out. It also faces a further nine-figure payout next year if it loses another lawsuit brought by the same aircraft lessor.