Providing direct links between the top tourist destinations in the region.
This week, Vietnamese budget carrier VietJet had its imaugural flights connecting Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) and Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) in Hanoi in Vietnam with the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA/CEB) in central Philippines.
VietJet started operating its Airbus A321 aircraft on the new services to and from Hanoi on November 10 (Tuesday) and for Ho Chi Minh, it began on November 11 (Wednesday).
Both inaugural flights were greeted with the traditional water cannon salute and a welcome ceremony at MCIA, including the traditional cake-cutting and ribbon-cutting ceremonies, welcome lei reception and tokens.
“Today, we welcome Vietjet at MCIA, and with not one but two routes to Vietnam,” said Athanasios Titonis, Chief Executive Officer of Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corporation (ACAC). “These flights give Cebuanos more ways to discover Vietnam, and give Vietnamese travelers a direct gateway to Cebu and the other Philippine island destinations. This is what our CEB Connects vision is about: making Cebu the country’s premier tourism transfer gateway.”
Vietjet CEO Nguyen Thanh Son said: “Vietjet aims to offer passengers in Cebu and neighboring areas more opportunities to explore Vietnam through convenient and affordable travel options, while welcoming an increasing number of Vietnamese visitors to discover the beauty of the Philippines. The two routes inaugurated today will further stimulate two-way travel, connecting destinations with strong tourism potential in both countries. We are confident that Cebu will become a dynamic and growing market within Vietjet’s network in the region.”
Notably, these inaugural flights mark a significant milestone in MCIA’s route network expansion, opening robust travel, tourism, and trade opportunities between the Philippines and Vietnam.
It was in June 2026 when the new Cebu-Ho Chi Minh route were announced during the State Visit of Vietnamese General Secretary and President Tô Lâm to the Philippines. with Ceni-Hanoi doubling the airline’s commitment to the market.
With the addition of these routes, MCIA, the country’s busiest gateway outside Metro Manila, is now connected to 28 domestic and 17 international destinations, served by four Philippine-based and 19 foreign airline partners.
Here are the time tables for each route:
Cebu – Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat International Airport), three times weekly
- VJ1892: Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) to Cebu (CEB) | ETA: 0200H (2:00 AM)
- VJ1893: Cebu (CEB) to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) | ETD: 0300H (3:00 AM)
Cebu – Hanoi (Noi Bai International Airport), three times weekly
- VJ956: Hanoi (HAN) to Cebu (CEB) | ETA: 0100H (1:00 AM)
- VJ957: Cebu (CEB) to Hanoi (HAN) | ETD: 0630H (6:30 AM)
