Hanoi (VNA) – The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has granted permission to Qatar Airways to operate three combined flights on the Doha–Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City route.
Due to the temporary closure of Doha’s airspace amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the airline plans to operate flights on the DOH–HAN–SGN–HAN–DOH route from March 24 - 29, 2026.
According to the authority, these flights will not carry domestic passengers on the Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City leg. Instead, they are intended to transport passengers affected by the exceptional situation in the Middle East, while gradually restoring air transport activities between Qatar and Vietnam, including passengers, cargo and parcels.
The latest update from the CAAV shows that international passenger traffic to Vietnam has so far remained largely unaffected, except for a surge in arrivals from Europe during March–April 2026, as travellers seek to avoid routes passing through the Middle East. Other markets have not recorded significant changes in demand.
According to a report from Vietnam Airlines, airfares on international routes were relatively stable before the conflict. However, since the conflict broke out, average ticket prices in March 2026 have risen by more than 15% year-on-year, with notable increases on routes to Europe, Australia and the US.
For domestic air transport, fares had remained stable and even declined compared to the same period last year, dropping 15% in January and rising slightly by 4% in February due to the timing of the Lunar New Year. However, in March, average ticket prices increased by 15–23%, or about 20% on average, following the onset of the conflict./.
