Expanded Canada–Vietnam agreement permits direct flights

An expanded air-transport agreement now permits direct passenger flights between Canada and Vietnam for the first time, although no airline, route or launch date was included in the federal announcement.

Transport Canada says airlines from each country may operate up to 14 passenger-combination flights a week. The agreement also allows up to seven all-cargo flights per country each week and grants fifth-freedom rights for cargo service, which can let a home-country airline carry traffic between two foreign countries on a service that begins or ends at home.

The new capacity creates room for carriers to propose service, but it should not be read as confirmation that tickets are already on sale. Airlines still make their own commercial and scheduling decisions and must meet the applicable regulatory requirements.

Ottawa says two-way merchandise trade with Vietnam totalled $20.6 billion in 2025 and estimates the Vietnamese Canadian community at about 275,000 people.

Source: Transport Canada, expanded Canada–Vietnam air agreement, September 24, 2026.

Illustrative stock image: John McArthur / Unsplash Licence. The aircraft pictured is not tied to a confirmed Canada–Vietnam route; WordPress may crop or resize it for display.