Vietnam's national airline is Vietnam Airlines. The airline was established in 1956 and became a state-owned business in April 1989. Vietnam Airlines is based in the Long Biên district of Hanoi and has hubs at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi. Including codeshared services, the airline flies to 64 destinations in 17 countries.

Vietnam Airlines was hampered by a variety of factors, including the country's socioeconomic and political situation, from its inception until the early 1990s, making it a minor airline in the aviation industry. The airline was able to expand, enhance its offerings, and modernize its aging fleet as a result of the government's normalization of relations with the United States. Vietnam Airlines Corporation was established in 1996 by the Vietnamese government with the airline serving as its focal point. Vietnam Airlines Company Limited was established as a limited liability company and renamed the corporation in 2010. The business is run by a seven-member management board that is appointed by the Vietnamese Prime Minister.

Vietnam Airlines contributes significantly to the country's economic growth because passenger transportation is its primary business. It owns almost ninety percent of the low-cost airline Pacific Airlines and 100 percent of Vietnam Air Service Company, a regional airline in southern Vietnam. Through a number of its subsidiaries, including Vietnam Airlines Engineering Company and Vietnam Airlines Caterers, the company also generates revenue from airline catering and aircraft maintenance and overhaul. Additionally, the company is looking to manufacture aircraft components and has diversified its investments in the aircraft leasing and airport ground-servicing sectors. Vietnam Airlines Cargo, its cargo division, is managed by it.