In this article, we look at some rare flights scheduled on the Airbus A350 in 2025, and, interestingly enough, all of them come from just one carrier – Vietnam Airlines, which has a total of 14 examples of the A350 in its inventory. Interestingly, the 96-plane-strong fleet also has the highest number of parked A350s anywhere on the planet. The flag-carrier has five A350-900s parked at the latest count.
There can be several reasons why a carrier chooses to operate such flights, and we try to decode some of them in this article. So, using data from Cirium, let’s break down the list!
9
Hanoi To Beijing
1,446 Miles One Way
Only a single Airbus A350 under the banner of Vietnam Airlines was scheduled from Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi) (HAN) in Hanoi to 
Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) this year. Hanoi is a hub for Vietnam Airlines and the second-largest airport in the country of Vietnam. At the other end of the air corridor, PEK is considered the busier of the two large international airports in the nation’s capital.
The two cities are major centers for politics, business, and culture in their respective nations. The close connection between Vietnam and China makes it easy to see why the airline would choose this destination for an aircraft that flies limited operations. Scheduling between two of the busiest hubs in the network is the best way to maximize the use of any airframe.
8
Beijing To Hanoi
1,446 Miles One Way
Corresponding to the first entry on this list, only one flight was scheduled in 2025 from PEK to HAN on a Vietnam Airlines A350. It’s not publicly recorded why Vietnam Airlines chooses not to serve PEK with its A350s more frequently, but the short distance likely means that its Airbus A321 narrowbodies are a better fit for the route. As Planespotters.net shows, the carrier has 48 of the smaller Airbus jets in its stables.
The A350-900 has a maximum range of 8,500 nautical miles, which means that this particular flight plan is a waste of a long-haul airframe unless the traffic density and airfare premiums are high enough. While some operators fly huge, long-haul jets on short legs, like Emirates does with its “Super Jumbo” A380s, that still isn’t a frequently seen practice in the industry.
7
Hanoi To Busan
1,700 Miles One Way
Just a single departure a year from Hanoi to Gimhae International Airport (PUS) on the A350 is scheduled by Vietnam Airlines. Similar to the Beijing itinerary above, this route does not make particularly good use of the A350’s features. The jet is, however, efficient enough to make long or short journeys with low operating costs, so it also isn’t considered a wasted mission by most standards.
The cause for the one-off deployment is a mystery, but the aircraft is one of only two widebody types in the Vietnam Airlines’ fleet, with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner being the other. Occasional traffic surges or operating necessities behind the scenes could be the motivation. Simple advertising could also be a reason since the jet can do the job efficiently, but makes a bigger impression on the apron than a smaller A321.
6
Busan to Hanoi
1,700 Miles One Way
Pairing with the previous entry, just one flight is scheduled by Vietnam Airlines from Busan to Hanoi this year. The low miles are perhaps offset by traffic density in this case, but without more details, it’s essentially speculation to guess why the “Xtra” widebody (as Airbus dubs it) is sortied between the two cities. Again, going back to the A350’s narrowbody-like efficiency in terms of fuel and maintenance, it may simply be a traffic capacity boost deployed sporadically by the carrier.
The A350-900 fleet of the carrier is only 14 strong at this time, while its Dreamliner numbers are higher at 17, according to Planespotters.net. The preference toward the Boeing widebody seems to be made more pronounced by the number of A350 jets parked by Vietnam Airlines. The sporadic usage of the aircraft in one-off itineraries may also mean that the jet has not been fulfilling the carrier’s expectations as well as the 787, but that is speculative.
5
Ho Chi Minh City To Busan
2,185 Miles One Way
Another rare A350 flight this year is of Vietnam Airlines to Busan (PUS) from Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City) (SGN). SGN is the busiest airport in Vietnam, with over 40 million travelers passing through its doors a year. Meanwhile, PUS is at its capacity limit, and because of the mountainous terrain surrounding the airfield, a new airport is being built to alleviate congestion. PUS serves over 15 million flyers a year.
The range of the A350-900 far exceeds the need for this route, as with other entries on this list. However, the trade-off for payload is always a factor for operating economics. The widebody’s capacity for high numbers of travelers, as well as underbelly cargo, could be very useful going to and from the two major industrial hubs that this flight path connects. Alternatively, flying the jet on a reduced fuel load would yield smaller-jet operating costs and squeeze in some extra seats.
4
Busan To Ho Chi Minh City
2,185 Miles One Way
Mirroring the last itinerary on the list, a Vietnam Airlines A350 has one flight this year, leaving Busan on the return trip to Ho Chi Minh. Serving an air bridge that spans the East China Sea means that traffic should almost always be available (barring global pandemics). Busan is both the second-largest city in Korea and a major industrial center for the nation, home to the busiest port in the country. The demand for travel between two such significant urban centers is essentially always high in the Asia-Pacific market.
Once again, the aircraft itself seems to be the reason for the single scheduled round-trip in 2025. Vietnam Airlines simply doesn’t have very many of them, and the ones that it has do not appear to be utilized as much as the other airframes in the fleet. Ongoing cabin upgrades have kept the A350s on the ground, but engine trouble may also be to blame, reportedly.
3
Tokyo To Da Nang
2,402 Miles One Way
Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT) sees off a Vietnam Airlines A350 headed to Danang International Airport (DAD) once this year. The city of Da Nang is one of the largest in Vietnam, and Tokyo is both the capital and most populous urban center in Japan. The combination produces a high-density route with reliable demand over a short- to medium-range distance. The A350 is a bit overqualified in range here again, but the capacity trade-off with its high level of cost efficiency still makes it a good tool for the job.
The Rolls-Royce Trent engines have faced durability issues in recent history, with other airlines also facing disruptions to scheduled service, like Cathay Pacific, according to Reuters. The Vietnam Airlines A350s are equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 engines, indicating that a possible combination of interior updates and maintenance improvements has led to a low deployment rate.
2
London To Hanoi
5,749 Miles One Way
This list also features a Vietnam Airlines A350 departing London Heathrow Airport (LHR) bound for Hanoi. The long range of this route means the A350-900 can finally stretch its legs and achieve its most efficient operating profile as well, with a long period of sustained high-altitude cruise. The widebody is tailor-made for these flight plans and performs with comfort and speed while keeping the bottom line in the black.
The reasoning for the limited deployment on such a well-suited mission probably lies with the maintenance evolution that the Vietnam Airlines fleet is undergoing. Perhaps once the full A350-900 fleet is back in tip-top shape, the route will see more of the big Airbus jets going to and fro on a regular basis.
1
Ho Chi Minh City To Frankfurt
6,006 Miles One Way
Vietnam Airlines flies from Ho Chi Minh to Frankfurt International (FRA) with its A350 just once this year. Akin to the other long-haul A350 route on this list mentioned above, the jet is in its peak performance on these flight profiles. Covering the vast transcontinental distance between Germany and Vietnam is taken easily in stride by Airbus’ long-range “Xtra” widebody.
Speculation based on the limited amount of publicly available information that lends insight into the Vietnam Airlines fleet’s inner workings only amounts to the likelihood that limited deployment is a result of either the maintenance program or changing fleet strategy. It is certainly not possible to determine which is the cause until the engines are fine-tuned and the cabins refitted.
