Vietjet to launch direct flights from HCMC to Vientiane next year

Vietnamese budget carrier Vietjet Air announced on Monday it would open a new direct route connecting Vietnam’s southern economic hub Ho Chi Minh City with the Lao capital Vientiane next February.

There will be four weekly services with a flight time of one hour and 45 minutes each leg, the carrier said in a statement.

HCMC, home to nearly nine million people, boasts unique cultural features and a vibrant modern lifestyle. It also offers seamless connectivity to many destinations within and outside Vietnam.

Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Vientiane is the largest city in Laos with a population of over 800,000 people, and is famous for its ancient Buddhist temples. The capital of Laos attracts tourists to its renowned architectural landmarks, temples, pagodas, local festivals, and unique cuisine.

"The new route is expected to contribute to the promotion of trade, tourism, and cultural exchange between the two countries, creating further fruitful outcomes in the longstanding cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Laos," Vietjet said.

Vietnam received over 110,000 tourists from Laos between January and November, up 160% year-on-year.

Laos attracted more than 2.4 million foreign tourists in the first nine months of this year, marking a record 285% year-on-year increase, according to the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism of Laos.

Vietnam sent over 600,000 tourists to Laos in that time, accounting for 25% of total foreign arrivals to the country.

Vietjet this month will launch a series of new routes to Southeast Asian cities.

The Hanoi-Jakarta route will start on December 10 with four weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, while the service connecting Hanoi with Cambodia’s Siem Reap, home of the UNESCO world heritage site Angor Wat, will begin five days later with seven flights a week.

While Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet and Vietravel Airlines continue to open new direct routes to Asia-Pacific destinations to cash in on the busy international tourism season, privately-run carrier Bamboo Airways has started scaling down operations.

Bamboo Airways has halted a series of international routes to South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Australia and Germany since October 29 amid major restructuring.

It recently also suspended a series of domestic routes including those connecting the popular tourist island of Phu Quoc and the Central Highlands resort town of Da Lat.

The number of foreign arrivals to Vietnam reached 11.2 million in the first 11 months of the year and the country is striving to receive around 13 million by the year-end, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.