The expansion of cooperation with Philippine partners further reaffirms the strategic direction of Viet Nam’s national flag carrier, Viet Nam Airlines, to strengthen connectivity across Southeast Asia, at a time when demand for travel, tourism and trade within ASEAN continues to grow positively.
Accordingly, Viet Nam Airlines and the Philippine Department of Tourism signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at promoting destinations and developing tourist flows between the two countries. The two sides agreed to implement joint communication campaigns, organise familiarisation programmes for journalists and travel businesses, and enhance the sharing of market information, thereby improving the effectiveness of bilateral tourism promotion activities.
At the same time, Viet Nam Airlines is strengthening cooperation with partners such as Saigontourist Group and Trip.com in promotional activities, marketing expansion, and the development of tourism products for the Viet Nam–Philippines market. By leveraging the strengths and customer ecosystems of all parties, the cooperation is expected to improve market reach and encourage greater visitor exchanges between the two countries.
In the aviation sector, Viet Nam Airlines and Philippine Airlines agreed to expand their codeshare cooperation and enhance network connectivity. Under the agreement, in addition to the existing codeshare routes between Manila and Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam Airlines will place its VN code on flights operated by Philippine Airlines between Manila and Da Nang, as well as on key domestic routes in the Philippines, including Manila–Bacolod, Manila–Cebu, and Manila–Davao.
Conversely, Philippine Airlines will place its PR code on Viet Nam Airlines-operated flights between Manila and Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City, while also expanding the arrangement to several domestic routes in Viet Nam, including Ho Chi Minh City–Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City–Da Nang, and Ha Noi–Da Nang.
Speaking at the event, Viet Nam Airlines Chief Executive Officer Le Hong Ha emphasised that the expansion of cooperation with Philippine Airlines comes at a significant time, as Viet Nam and the Philippines are approaching the 50th anniversary of their establishment of diplomatic relations. Through enhanced air connectivity, Viet Nam Airlines aims to contribute to people-to-people exchanges, tourism cooperation, trade, and investment, while supporting the implementation of major bilateral cooperation initiatives in a new phase of development.
Philippine Airlines President Richard Nuttall affirmed that Viet Nam is an important and rapidly growing market. He noted that the expanded partnership with Viet Nam Airlines would provide passengers with more convenient travel options, while helping to boost tourism, broaden business opportunities, and strengthen connectivity across Southeast Asia.
The Philippines is regarded as one of the region’s most promising markets, with steadily increasing demand for tourism and trade. From 1991 to April 2026, Viet Nam Airlines operated approximately 4,200 flights and carried more than 430,000 passengers between the two countries. The airline currently operates 17 flights per week connecting Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City with Manila, as well as Ha Noi with Cebu.
The cooperation agreements exchanged and signed on this occasion further expand Viet Nam Airlines’ global network of strategic partners, reinforcing its role as a bridge for promoting economic, cultural, and tourism exchanges and strengthening community connectivity between Viet Nam and other ASEAN countries, thereby contributing to deeper regional cooperation.
