Friday, July 31 2026
Friday, July 31 2026
MONETABRIEF – Vietjet Air which is starting direct flights between Colombo and Ho Chi Minh City in August is planning to extend operations to the Maldives, Vietnam Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam said.
"So, it means that we will have a broader air connectivity, not only between Vietnam and Sri Lanka, but to other countries in the region," she told a business forum in Colombo.
Vietjet Air is may increase frequencies to five when Maldives flights start, Udeni Perera, head of sales at the general sales agency, Andrews, the Travel Company said.
Vietjet Air operates 420 flights daily to domestic and international destinations, Perera said.
Baggage will be interlined between flights, but travellers from Sri Lanka who travel to the Vietnam cities will have to clear immigration and hand over the baggage to Vietjet staff and there will be no requirement to check in again at the domestic terminal, he said.
Vietjet Air which started in 2011, now has a fleet of 135 and has 576 aircraft on order till 2035 according to the company.
State-run Vietnam Airlines is starting direct flights to Colombo from HCMC on August 16 and Vietjet Air on August 18.
Suranjaya Rajaguru, Director at Hayleys Advantis, General Sales Agent for Vietnam Airlines said the A 321 aircraft will have 16 business class seats and 162 economy class tickets.
Sri Lanka and Vietnam signed an air service agreement in 1992 and it took 34 years for direct flights to start, Ambassador Tam said.
"So, with the new direct flights by Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air, will make travel easier, faster and more affordable, and open new opportunities for not only tourism, but also trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges."
In the first half of 2026 about 4,500 Vietnamese visited Sri Lanka and 9,000 Sri Lankans visited Vietnam, she said.
Tourism exchanges between Vietnam and Sri Lanka have remained below the true potential and "our expectations, given our longstanding friendship of more than 55 years of diplomatic relations. One of the major reasons has been the lack of direct air connectivity." (Colombo/July31/2026)
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