Vietnam-Hong Kong flights surge as travel demand soars

Dao Hoang Hai Linh, head of sales Vietnam at Cathay Pacific Airlines under Cathay Pacific Group, announced that the Hong Kong carrier will raise its total weekly round-trip flights between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hong Kong from 24 to 30 flights, starting October 26.

“This adjustment reflects the rapidly growing travel and business demand between the two markets,” Linh said.

In addition, HK Express, a low-cost subsidiary of Cathay Pacific Group, currently operates 49 flights per week connecting Hanoi, Da Nang, Cam Ranh, and Phu Quoc with Hong Kong.

The collaboration between Cathay Pacific Airlines and HK Express significantly expands Vietnam’s connectivity with this major international aviation hub, boosting both tourism and trade.

Cathay Pacific, which currently serves more than 100 global destinations, plans to launch new routes to Xinjiang in China, Dallas in the U.S., Munich in Germany and resume flights to Rome, Brussels, Adelaide, and Changsha in 2025.

One notable expansion is the Hong Kong-Dallas route, launched in April this year with four weekly flights. Thanks to strong passenger demand, the route will become a daily service starting this month.

“Dallas is an important U.S. gateway and has drawn increasing interest from Vietnamese travelers,” Linh said.

According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, the number of Vietnamese visitors to Hong Kong has surged in the past two years, particularly after Hong Kong introduced e-visa policies and ramped up tourism promotions.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board reported that between January and July, Hong Kong welcomed over 39,000 Vietnamese visitors, up 46.6 percent against the same period last year.

However, industry insiders said the figure could be even higher if visa processing times were shorter.

Currently, obtaining a Hong Kong visa takes an average of three weeks and requires proof of employment and financial documents.

Meanwhile, the number of Hong Kong travelers to Vietnam has also recovered quickly, supported by the expansion of direct flights and the popularity of Vietnamese destinations such as Hanoi, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, and Nha Trang, often described as the region’s ‘resort paradise.’