Low-cost carrier Vietjet is launching direct flights between Clark and Ho Chi Minh City in November, opening a new gateway to Vietnam for travelers from central and northern Luzon.
The operator of Clark International Airport announced on Wednesday that the new Vietjet service will operate three times weekly every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This will provide travelers with another direct connection to the booming Southeast Asian tourism destination.
Vote of confidence
‘Vietjet’s decision to launch its first Clark service is a strong vote of confidence in the market we serve,’ said Noel Manankil, president and CEO of Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp. (Lipad). The company manages the Pampanga gateway.
‘Clark gives airlines access to a large catchment area beyond Metro Manila, and this direct connection to Ho Chi Minh City creates a more efficient travel option for passengers across Central and Northern Luzon,’ Manankil added.
Vietjet’s new service will begin on Nov. 10, Lipad said.
Vietjet flight VJ1871 will depart Clark at 5:05 p.m. and arrive in Ho Chi Minh City at 6:35 p.m. local time. The return flight, VJ1870, will leave Ho Chi Minh City at 12:30 p.m. and arrive at Clark at 4:05 p.m.
Ahead of the launch, Vietjet will offer a special promotional one-way fare of $75, inclusive of taxes and other fees. The promotional fare will cover travel periods through March 31, 2027, Lipad said.
Tourism cooperation
This new service comes just months after the Philippines and Vietnam launched a tourism cooperation program during Vietnamese President To Lam’s meeting with President Marcos in Manila last June.
Under the agreement, which runs until 2029, Manila and Hanoi agreed to increase commercial flight frequencies and strengthen air connectivity between the two countries.
As of June, the Philippines was Vietnam’s largest source of foreign tourists, with Filipino arrivals reaching 364,721 in the first half of 2026.
In 2025, the number of Filipino tourists that visited Vietnam surged 81.3 percent to 482,173.
Travel in the opposite direction remains considerably smaller. Vietnam was the Philippines’ 23rd-largest source of foreign tourists in 2025, with 33,599 arrivals.
For Manankil, Vietjet’s expansion into Clark International Airport fits into the two countries’ broader push to strengthen bilateral ties.
‘We see considerable potential for this route to support both tourism and business links between the two markets,’ he said.