Despite having a designed capacity of 3-5 million passengers per year, Can Tho International Airport in the namesake city handled only 1.3 million passengers in 2024, with just seven domestic and two international routes still in operation.

At a recent tourism review conference, Can Tho’s tourism development steering committee identified limited flight routes as a key challenge affecting this southern Vietnamese city’s tourism sector.

Following local carrier Bamboo Airways’ suspension of flights in November 2023, only Vietjet and Vietnam Airlines continue operating domestic routes connecting Can Tho with Hanoi, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Vinh, Da Lat, Phu Quoc, and Con Dao. 

Additionally, the airport maintains just two international flights to South Korea and Taiwan.

Consequently, in 2024, flight operations at Can Tho International Airport totaled 6,495 takeoffs and landings, marking a 28-percent decrease from the previous year, while passenger traffic dropped 25 percent compared to 2023.

To address this decline, the tourism development steering committee has outlined many measures to improve air connectivity, including bolstering interprovincial tourism cooperation and promoting unique, high-value travel experiences; encouraging and facilitating the opening of new flight routes to both domestic and international destinations; and enhancing regional travel programs to maximize the city’s tourism potential.  

Nguyen Thuc Hien, vice-chairman of the municipal administration, emphasized the goal of establishing tourism as a leading economic sector by 2025, urging efforts to improve infrastructure, expand high-end accommodation, and develop entertainment hubs to attract more visitors.

Initially inaugurated in 2011, Can Tho International Airport peaked in 2019, operating 10 domestic and four international routes. 

However, many of these flights have since ceased, contributing to the current underutilization of the airport’s capacity.

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