Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City ranks 4th among world’s busiest domestic air routes in 2025

More specifically, the route recorded 11,078,775 seats in 2025, making it one of the few domestic air routes worldwide to have surpassed its pre-COVID-19 scale.

This figure marks a four-percent increase from 2024 and is eight percent higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

The performance has kept the Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City connection among the world’s 10 busiest domestic air routes for the eighth consecutive year, retaining its fourth-place ranking from 2024.

Airfares on the route fell 11 percent year on year, with the average one-way ticket priced at about $67, as the nearly-1,200-kilometer air link remains highly competitive with six carriers operating in 2025.

The roughly-two-hour flight is often dubbed Vietnam’s ‘golden route’ due to its exceptionally high passenger volumes and strategic importance, according to the Vietnam Government Portal (VGP).

Demand is driven by economic growth, high population density, and the need for fast and efficient connectivity between the two cities.

While Vietnam’s railway network continues to expand, air travel remains the most practical option for many passengers.

Economic activity in both cities further underpins traffic on the route, with Hanoi serving as the country’s political and administrative center and a major education hub, while Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s commercial and financial powerhouse.

Frequent business travel, family visits, and a growing number of tourists keep the route consistently busy.

More broadly, Vietnam’s aviation market is among the fastest-growing globally, supported by rising tourism, supportive policies, and the expansion of low-cost carriers, VGP reported.

Globally, the Jeju International–Seoul Gimpo route in South Korea remains the world’s busiest domestic air route in 2025, with nearly 14.4 million seats scheduled, OAG said.

It is followed by two Japanese domestic routes, Sapporo New Chitose–Tokyo Haneda with over 12 million seats and Fukuoka–Tokyo Haneda with nearly 11.5 million seats.

Australia’s Melbourne–Sydney route ranks fifth, behind Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City, with 9.8 million seats.

OAG data show that nine of the world’s 10 busiest domestic air routes are located in the Asia–Pacific region.

The sole exception is the Jeddah–Riyadh route in Saudi Arabia, which ranks fifth and records the fastest growth among the global top 10.