The Vietnam Guides

Vietjet Air Launches Ho Chi Minh City–Colombo Direct Flights

· 3 min read Travel News
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Contents

  1. What this means for travellers
  2. Two carriers, one route
  3. Booking and planning
  4. Visa requirements for the route

Vietjet Air announced on May 8 that it will launch direct nonstop flights between Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) and Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo (CMB), Sri Lanka, from August 2026. The route will operate four times per week - on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays - with a flight time of approximately four hours.

The service fills a genuine connectivity gap between two fast-growing tourism markets. Until now, travellers moving between Vietnam and Sri Lanka have had to transit through hubs such as Singapore, Bangkok, or Kuala Lumpur, adding hours and cost to what is a relatively short regional journey.

What this means for travellers

For visitors planning itineraries that combine Vietnam with Sri Lanka, the new route significantly simplifies logistics. A direct connection between Colombo and Ho Chi Minh City makes it practical to combine southern Vietnam’s coastline, temples, and street-food culture with Sri Lanka’s hill country, wildlife parks, and ancient ruins in a single two-country trip without wasted transit time.

Vietnamese nationals travelling to Sri Lanka benefit from a visa-on-arrival option, which can also be obtained in advance as an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) through Sri Lanka’s official immigration portal. Sri Lankan visitors to Vietnam are covered by Vietnam’s unilateral 45-day visa exemption for Sri Lankan passport holders. Both directions are therefore relatively paperwork-light, which lowers the barrier for new traffic on the route.

Fares are expected to follow Vietjet’s typical low-cost pricing structure. Early-bird promotional seats on new route launches often open below USD 100 one-way, though these require booking weeks or months in advance. The four-weekly schedule is practical for mid-week corporate trips, and the timing of departures has not yet been publicly confirmed but will likely be structured to align with Colombo’s peak-hours demand.

Two carriers, one route

Vietnam Airlines is also introducing its own Ho Chi Minh City–Colombo service in October 2026, which means by year’s end the corridor will have two operators - a full-service carrier and a low-cost carrier flying the same route. Competition between carriers on the same route typically produces better fares and more seat availability over time, and gives travellers the choice between VietJet’s lower base prices and Vietnam Airlines’ included luggage and inflight service.

Booking and planning

Vietjet Air tickets for the Colombo route will be available through the airline’s website and major third-party booking platforms. Promotional fares are common on new route launches, so setting a price alert or signing up for Vietjet’s notification emails is worthwhile. To compare fares across all carriers flying into Vietnam, browse Vietnam flights.

For travellers arriving into Ho Chi Minh City for the first time, our Ho Chi Minh City guide covers airport transfers, neighbourhoods, and what to do on arrival. To book tours and activities during your stay, browse Ho Chi Minh City tours. If you are planning to combine this with domestic travel inside Vietnam, our flights to Vietnam page outlines the main carriers and routes connecting the country’s major cities. The Colombo announcement follows a wave of new international routes from Vietnam in 2026, including Air India’s Hanoi–Delhi service which launched May 1 and Vietnam Airlines’ Hanoi–Amsterdam route which opened in June.

Visa requirements for the route

Sri Lankan passport holders can enter Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days under Vietnam’s unilateral exemption, which extends to all Sri Lankan nationals. Vietnamese nationals planning a trip to Sri Lanka can obtain a Sri Lanka ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) online through the official Sri Lanka immigration portal before departure - the process costs approximately USD 35 and is typically approved within 24 hours, making the formalities on both sides of this route among the more straightforward in the Southeast Asia–South Asia corridor.