Vietnamese carrier adds 3 routes to Shanghai

Vietnam's Sun PhuQuoc Airways recently unveiled plans to launch direct routes between Shanghai and three major Vietnamese destinations over the next six months, underscoring the accelerating momentum in cross-border travel and economic integration.

The airline said it would inaugurate daily flights between Shanghai and Ho Chi Minh City on Oct 15, followed by service to Hanoi in November and to the resort island of Phu Quoc in March 2027.

The move comes as both countries celebrate the China-Vietnam tourism cooperation year for 2026-27, aiming to further boost people-to-people exchanges and bilateral tourism connectivity.

Xu Liping, a professor of the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said expanding air links serves as a key lever for deeper China-Vietnam cultural and tourism cooperation. Direct flights cut travel costs, unlock pent-up demand for leisure travel on both sides and consolidate the foundation of bilateral friendship.

China remained Vietnam's largest source of international visitors, contributing about 3.1 million arrivals, or 22.2 percent of the total, in the first seven months, according to Vietnamese government news portal VGP News.

Bilateral trade provides another powerful tailwind. Customs data show that bilateral trade between China and Vietnam in 2025 surged past $290 billion, a record. That's the equivalent of roughly $800 million in goods crossing the border every single day.

Phan Xuan Trung, senior commercial director of Sun PhuQuoc Airways, said Shanghai was selected as the company's strategic priority due to its affluent outbound traveler base and dense commercial links with Southeast Asia.

Combining direct flights to established commercial centers like Ho Chi Minh City with resort destinations such as Phu Quoc enables the airline to serve both corporate and leisure travelers, balancing seasonal market fluctuations, he added.

The airline, a full-service carrier owned by Vietnam's Sun Group, launched commercial operations in November and rolled out its first international service in March this year. The Shanghai–Ho Chi Minh City service will mark its first daily scheduled link between China and Vietnam.

All three newly announced routes will be operated using Airbus A320 and A321 narrow-body aircraft.

Sun PhuQuoc Airways enters an increasingly dynamic market. Vietnam's flag carrier Vietnam Airlines already operates direct flights linking Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in Guangdong province with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Budget carrier Vietjet Air has also rapidly broadened its footprint, adding routes in April connecting Enshi in Hubei province with Hanoi and Guilin in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region with Ho Chi Minh City.

For Sun PhuQuoc Airways, the China expansion is deliberately integrated with the broader portfolio of its parent company, whose assets encompass hospitality, real estate and entertainment.

"Aviation is not simply a new business vertical for Sun Group. It is the strategic link that connects the entire ecosystem with domestic and international markets," Trung said.

The carrier currently operates three weekly flights connecting Chengdu in Sichuan province with Phu Quoc, alongside four weekly flights between Chengdu and Ho Chi Minh City. Trung added that the airline is actively preparing further routes connecting Shenzhen in Guangdong with Phu Quoc and Hanoi, as well as linking Beijing directly to Phu Quoc Island in the near future.

lijing2009@chinadaily.com.cn