Hanoi, August 25, 2026 – The Europe Today: Vietnam Airlines has officially launched a new direct air route connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Colombo, Sri Lanka, becoming the first Vietnamese airline to operate direct flights to the South Asian island nation.
The launch comes amid a significant increase in passenger traffic between Vietnam and Sri Lanka, particularly during the first months of 2026.
Vietnam Airlines will operate the new route three times a week, with flights departing Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Return flights from Colombo to Ho Chi Minh City will operate on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Travel demand between Vietnam and Sri Lanka has continued to grow rapidly. During the first quarter of 2026, passenger traffic between the two countries increased by more than 136 percent year-on-year. In 2025, more than 38,000 passengers travelled between Vietnam and Sri Lanka, marking a 17.5 percent increase compared with 2024.
The Ho Chi Minh City–Colombo service forms part of Vietnam Airlines’ broader strategy to expand its international network in 2026. The national flag carrier has also launched direct services connecting Hanoi with Amsterdam and Ho Chi Minh City with Phuket.
In addition, the airline has increased flight frequencies on several routes to Moscow, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore and Manila in response to rising demand for tourism, business travel and trade.
The new direct connection is expected to further strengthen people-to-people exchanges and contribute to the expansion of tourism, economic and commercial ties between Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
