Turkish Airlines plans to expand weekly service to Vietnam to 22 flights by February 2027 after its routes there recorded a nearly 92% load factor, Anadolu Agency reported.
Dincer Sayici, the airline’s Hanoi manager, told Anadolu Agency that passenger numbers on the Vietnam routes rose 30% in 2025. He projected growth of about 11% by the end of 2026. Sayici said the load factor stood at nearly 92%, and that 92% of passengers connected through Istanbul Airport.
The airline currently schedules 20 flights a week to Vietnam, with 10 serving Hanoi and 10 Ho Chi Minh City. It plans to add one weekly flight to each city. The Hanoi increase is scheduled for Jan. 5, 2027, and the Ho Chi Minh City increase for Feb. 7, 2027, taking total service to 22 flights a week.
The two countries’ civil aviation authorities signed a memorandum on Aug. 6, 2026, permitting up to 42 passenger frequencies a week on the Istanbul routes to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Anadolu Agency reported. Sayici cited the airline’s connections through Istanbul to Europe and North America as a draw for travelers.
Turkish Cargo transported about 53,000 tons between Istanbul and Vietnam in 2025. Sayici said it is targeting 60,000 tons by the end of 2026. He named electronics, higher-value industrial goods, machinery, spare parts and textiles among the main cargo categories.
Sayici said demand for travel from Türkiye climbed 56% during January-September 2026. The airline works with travel agencies and tourism groups to promote Istanbul, Cappadocia and Pamukkale to Vietnamese visitors. He credited electronic visa eligibility for Vietnamese citizens, which began Sept. 1, 2025, with supporting tourism figures and said it would continue to encourage travel.
Turkish Airlines began scheduled service to Ho Chi Minh City via Bangkok in 2010 and added Hanoi to its network in 2016. It operates nonstop flights from Istanbul to both cities, primarily using Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787-9 aircraft, Anadolu Agency reported.
