Getting around the Mekong Delta
Ways to travel · Air
Airports and flights in and around the delta
Four airports serve the delta region. Can Tho is the main one, Rach Gia and Ca Mau are small regional fields, and Phu Quoc is the island's international gateway. Which routes actually fly changes from season to season, so this page marks what we could confirm and what you should check.
Contents
Four airports at a glance
| Airport | Code | Status, October 2026 | Main use for travellers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can Tho International | VCA | Open; domestic flights only | Fly in from Hanoi, Da Nang and other cities |
| Rach Gia | VKG | Small regional airport; routes unconfirmed | Ho Chi Minh City link; check routes |
| Ca Mau | CAH | Closed for upgrade since late Oct 2025 | Reopening targeted for 1 Nov 2026 |
| Phu Quoc International | PQC | Open; domestic and international | End or start a delta trip on the island |
For most independent trips, the useful pattern is to fly into Can Tho or Phu Quoc at one end and travel overland through the delta to the other, rather than flying between delta towns.
Sources: Tuoi Tre — ACV proposes international routes for Can Tho, 14 May 2026; Wikipedia — Rach Gia Airport; Soha / Doi song Phap luat — Ca Mau airport upgrade, 5 Aug 2026; Dai bieu Nhan dan — new operator for Phu Quoc airport, 26 Dec 2025 · checked .
Can Tho International (VCA)
Can Tho's airport handled 1,115,000 passengers in 2025, all of them domestic; it had 1,334,000 in 2019. International routes have been suspended since the second quarter of 2024, and in May 2026 the airport operator ACV proposed working with the city to attract routes to South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and China. None of those had been announced when we checked.
Domestic links named in May 2026 were Hanoi, Da Lat, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Con Dao and Vinh. Vietnam Airlines resumed Can Tho – Da Lat on 19 August 2026 after nearly six years, daily except in September and October, when it runs five times a week.
Can Tho – Phu Quoc is the route travellers ask about most, and the sources differ. Vietnam Airlines resumed it from 28 October 2024, five times a week; the May 2026 report does not list it, while a September 2026 report does. Check the airline's booking page for your dates before planning around it.
The airport is about 9 km north-west of the city centre; the national tourism authority puts it at about 20 minutes by road. Some Ho Chi Minh City vans list the airport as a drop-off point.
Sources: Tuoi Tre — ACV proposes international routes for Can Tho, 14 May 2026; Tuoi Tre News — ACV and Can Tho airport, 15 May 2026; Viet Nam News — Can Tho–Da Lat route resumes, 30 Jul 2026; Viet Nam News — Can Tho–Phu Quoc route resumed, 26 Sep 2024; afamily — Can Tho airport routes, 18 Sep 2026; Wikipedia — Can Tho; Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — Can Tho; redBus Vietnam — Saigon to Can Tho listings · checked .
Rach Gia (VKG)
Rach Gia airport has a single 1,500 m runway, which limits it to smaller aircraft. Route lists we found for it are out of date — some cite services from 2021 — so we do not reproduce them. The Ho Chi Minh City route is the one most often cited; confirm any route with the airline before booking.
For island travellers, Rach Gia airport's main use is as a quick way to reach the fast-boat port in the same town. Ha Tien, the other boat port, is about 90 km away by road.
Sources: Wikipedia — Rach Gia Airport; OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM demo server) · checked .
Ca Mau (CAH): closed for upgrade
Ca Mau airport stopped operating at the end of October 2025 for an upgrade costing about VND 2,400 billion. A press report in August 2026 said it was scheduled to reopen on 1 November 2026, after calibration flights in September, with the Ho Chi Minh City route moving from ATR 72 turboprops to Airbus A321 jets. Before the upgrade its runway was 1,500 m long.
Until it reopens, reach Ca Mau by road: since January 2026 the expressway brings it to about 1.5 hours from Can Tho by car and about 4.5 hours from Ho Chi Minh City.
We will update this section when Ca Mau reopens. If you fly the route after 1 November 2026, tell us the date and airline.
Sources: Soha / Doi song Phap luat — Ca Mau airport upgrade, 5 Aug 2026; Tuoi Tre — Can Tho–Ca Mau expressway fully open, 19 Jan 2026; Sai Gon Giai Phong — Mekong Delta expressway overview, 20 Jan 2026 · checked .
Phu Quoc International (PQC)
Phu Quoc's current airport opened on 2 December 2012, about 7 km south of Duong Dong. From 1 January 2026 it has been run by the Phu Quoc branch of Mat Troi Airport JSC, part of Sun Group. An expansion with a new terminal and a second runway is under way, with operation targeted for April 2027 ahead of APEC 2027; targets like this can move.
Foreign visitors arriving on Phu Quoc directly from abroad, by air or sea, can use the island's 30-day visa exemption. Vietnam Airlines' guidance says it covers Phu Quoc only: to travel on to the mainland delta you need a Vietnamese visa or e-visa. If your plan is Phu Quoc first and the delta second, apply for the e-visa before you fly.
Sources: Nong nghiep & Moi truong — Phu Quoc airport opens, 2 Dec 2012; Dai bieu Nhan dan — new operator for Phu Quoc airport, 26 Dec 2025; VietnamPlus — Phu Quoc airport expansion timeline, 8 Aug 2026; Vietnam Airlines — Phu Quoc visa guide · checked .
E-visas and the delta airports
Vietnam has issued e-visas to citizens of all countries and territories since 15 August 2023, valid for up to 90 days. The Government's list of ports where foreigners may enter and leave on an e-visa includes Can Tho and Phu Quoc airports. Apply only through the official portal of the Vietnam Immigration Department.
Sources: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — visa requirements; Nghe An public-service portal — Resolution 127/NQ-CP e-visa ports, 14 Aug 2023; Vietnam Immigration Department · checked .
When flying does not help
Flying between delta towns rarely saves time: the distances are short, the flights few, and an airport transfer at each end eats the gain. Flying helps in three cases — reaching Can Tho from the north of Vietnam, reaching Phu Quoc when the sea is rough, and leaving the region from Phu Quoc at the end of an overland trip. For everything else, the route planner is the better starting point.
Common questions
Questions readers send
Does Can Tho airport have international flights?
Not at the time of checking. International routes have been suspended since the second quarter of 2024, and in 2025 all of the airport's passengers were domestic.
Can I fly from Can Tho to Phu Quoc?
Vietnam Airlines resumed the route in October 2024, but reports in 2026 differ on whether it is still flying. Check the airline's booking page for your dates.
Is Ca Mau airport open?
It closed for an upgrade at the end of October 2025, with reopening reported for 1 November 2026. Until then, Ca Mau is reached by road.
Can I use Phu Quoc's visa exemption to travel the delta?
No. The 30-day exemption covers Phu Quoc only. To continue to the mainland you need a visa or e-visa.
Related
Read next
Hubs · Can Tho city
Can Tho
Bus stations, the airport, the Ninh Kieu wharf and how long it takes to go on.
Hubs · An Giang coast
Rach Gia and Ha Tien
Fast boats to Phu Quoc, Hon Son and Nam Du; Rach Gia airport; roads to Chau Doc and Can Tho.
Ways to travel · Water
Boats and ferries
Chau Doc–Phnom Penh speedboat, fast boats to the islands, local ferries and life jackets.
Plan · Legs and times
Route planner
Distances and usual journey times, leg by leg, with the basis for each figure.
Plan · Routes
Independent routes
Sample routes of three, five and eight days with transport and overnight stops.
Start planning
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