Vietnam carriers reopen multiple international routes

Vietnamese airlines Vietjet Air and Vietnam Airlines have reopened multiple international routes since the beginning of the year.

In the latest instance, budget carrier Vietjet Air on Monday officially reopend direct routes connecting Danang city and Phu Quoc island with Hong Kong, responding to the needs of people and touristm demand.

The route connecting Phu Quoc with Hong Kong will have three return flights per week every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with tickets priced from only VND90,000 ($3.82) each way. The route connecting Danang with Hong Kong will have return flights per week every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday with tickets priced from only VND70,000 ($2.97) each way.

On February 10, Vietjet reopened a direct route connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Hong Kong. With two return flights every Monday and Friday, and taking only three hours, residents and visitors can easily move between HCMC and Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines resumed five routes between Vietnam and China in March and April 2023.

This March, the carrier resumed flights between Hanoi and Beijing with three flights per week. It will also increase the frequency of flights connecting Hanoi and HCMC with Guangzhou and Shanghai. Each of these routes will be increased from 1-2 flights per week to four flights per week.

In April, the carrier restored four routes including Danang with Guangzhou, Shanghai and Chengdu, and Hanoi with Chengdu, with two flights per week on each route.

In September 2023, Vietnam Airlines plans to operate wide-body Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft on routes between Hanoi and Beijing, and between Hanoi, HCMC and Shanghai.

A Vietnam Airlines representative said that the reopening and exansion aimed to meet travel and tourism demand between the two countries.

Between January 1 and February 16, Vietnam Airlines announced the resumption of 24 routes to 15 countries and territories including the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, and Cambodia.

Vietnam fully reopened its tourism doors on March 15, 2022, with international flights restored following the pandemic.

The country received 3.66 million international arrivals in 2022, up 23.3 times year-on-year, but down 79.7% compared to pre-pandemic 2019.

The number of foreigners visiting Vietnam in January-June this year was nearly 5.6 million, up 9.3 times year-on-year, but just 66.7% of the same period in pre-pandemic 2019.