Archive · 24 Sep 2026
India, Vietnam Revise Air Deal, Raise Weekly Seat Capacity
India and Vietnam changed the rules for airlines flying between their countries.
Instead of mainly counting flights, the countries will now count seats.
The new arrangement allows up to 16,000 seats each week.
Previously, airlines were limited to a reported 42 flights per week to Indian metro cities.
Vietnamese airlines had used all of those flights.
The new system may give Indian airlines more room to add services.
It also makes the amount of available capacity easier for airlines to predict.
The same kind of change was previously made in an India-Indonesia air agreement.
India and Vietnam signed a revised Bilateral Air Services Agreement replacing flight-frequency limits with seat limits.
The revised arrangement raises permitted weekly capacity to 16,000 seats between the two countries.
The previous agreement reportedly allowed 42 weekly flights to Indian metro cities, all of which had been used by Vietnamese carriers.
The seat-based system could help Indian airlines plan routes and add services to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
The change follows a similar India-Indonesia agreement and is intended to increase competition while protecting Indian carriers.
- Who
- The governments of India and Vietnam, along with airlines operating between the countries.
- What
- They revised their Bilateral Air Services Agreement, replacing flight-frequency limits with a weekly seat-based capacity of 16,000 seats.
- When
- The agreement was announced when the Ministry of Civil Aviation shared news of its signing; the articles do not specify a date.
- Where
- On air routes connecting India and Vietnam, including services to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
- Why
- The revised system is intended to provide more predictable capacity, encourage competition, and give Indian carriers greater scope to expand.
- New weekly capacity
- 16,000 seats
- Previous reported limit
- 42 flights per week to Indian metro cities
- Agreement change
- Flight-frequency limits converted into seat limits
- Indian widebody operator
- Air India is described as the only Indian carrier operating widebody aircraft
- IndiGo network
- IndiGo consolidated operations at Hanoi after leaving Ho Chi Minh City
- Air India network
- Air India operates to Hanoi and could potentially add services from Mumbai
- Comparable agreement
- India previously renegotiated its air agreement with Indonesia from frequencies to seats