Vietnam has expanded air service agreements with Canada and Russia, opening the door for Air Canada to launch the first scheduled nonstop flights between Canada and Vietnam and for further growth in the expanding Russia-Vietnam market.
The revised Canada-Vietnam agreement allows designated airlines from each country to operate up to 14X-weekly passenger-combination flights. It also permits 7X-weekly all-cargo services per country and grants fifth-freedom rights for cargo operations. Air Canada plans to use the expanded rights to launch service to Ho Chi Minh City in 2027, subject to government approvals and other regulatory processes. The airline has not disclosed the proposed Canadian gateway, frequency, aircraft type or start date.
“Vietnam is an important market in the broader Canada-Southeast Asia relationship,” Air Canada EVP and Chief Commercial Officer Mark Galardo says. “We welcome this expanded air transport agreement and look forward to obtaining the necessary government approvals to begin service to Ho Chi Minh City.” The planned route would fill one of the largest remaining gaps in Vietnam's long-haul network.
No airline currently operates nonstop passenger flights between Canada and Vietnam, despite a Vietnamese Canadian community of approximately 275,000 people and two-way merchandise trade totaling C$20.6 billion ($14.6 billion) in 2025. Airports Corp. of Vietnam says Ho Chi Minh City would provide access to demand in southern Vietnam as well as connections elsewhere in the country and across Southeast Asia.
Canada's government adds the agreement responds to growth in the bilateral air market and supports its trade diversification and Indo-Pacific strategies. Canadian merchandise exports to Vietnam increased by almost 30% to more than C$1.3 billion in 2025. Air Canada's proposed entry would also expand Vietnam's limited nonstop connectivity with North America.
OAG Schedules Analyser data shows Vietnam Airlines is offering approximately 64,700 two-way seats between Ho Chi Minh City and San Francisco during summer 2026, down 7.8% from about 70,200 a year earlier. The route is currently the only regularly operated nonstop airport pair between Vietnam and North America. United Airlines also serves Ho Chi Minh City from Los Angeles through Hong Kong, offering approximately 107,900 two-way seats during summer 2026.
The Canadian expansion comes alongside a separate agreement between Vietnam and Russia that raises available traffic rights to 105X-weekly flights for designated airlines from each country. Russia's Transport Ministry says four Russian airlines currently operate 39X-weekly flights across 11 routes, while two Vietnamese carriers provide 31X-weekly flights across 13 routes. The ministry identified Kazan, Barnaul, Novokuznetsk and Blagoveshchensk as possible candidates for further expansion.
OAG data shows airlines offered about 695,300 scheduled seats between Russia and Vietnam during summer 2026, an increase of 50.1% year on year. The number of airport pairs rose from 20 to 30.
Growth has expanded in recent years after Aeroflot resumed Moscow Sheremetyevo-Ho Chi Minh City service in early 2024 following a suspension of more than three years. Vietnam Airlines also restored scheduled flights between Hanoi and Moscow Sheremetyevo in May 2025 after a three-year absence.
The market remains heavily weighted toward Russian outbound leisure traffic. Cam Ranh International Airport, serving the Nha Trang resort region, accounts for approximately 577,600 summer 2026 seats, or 83.1% of total Russia-Vietnam capacity. Moscow Sheremetyevo-Cam Ranh is the largest airport pair with almost 226,700 seats, representing 32.6% of the market.
Other major routes connect Cam Ranh with Yekaterinburg, Moscow Domodedovo, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok and Irkutsk. Russia's Transport Ministry said more than 1.07 million passengers traveled between the countries during the first seven months of 2026 and expects the full-year total to exceed 2 million.
The Canada and Russia agreements form part of a broader expansion of Vietnam's international aviation market. OAG data shows airlines are offering approximately 33.29 million two-way international seats during summer 2026, up 2.6% from 32.43 million a year earlier.
South Korea remains Vietnam's largest international market with approximately 5.75 million seats, although capacity is down 11% year on year. China ranks second with 4.82 million seats, up 4.9%, followed by Thailand with 3.19 million and Taiwan with 2.85 million. Vietnam Airlines is the largest international operator with approximately 6.93 million seats and a 20.8% share, followed by VietJet with 4.92 million seats and 14.8%.
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