It would become the first Vietnamese carrier to fly on the route when it launches the service by year-end using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner airplanes, the carrier said in a statement.

The Hanoi-Melbourne route is expected to make its debut by the year-end.

The Vietnamese community in Australia numbers nearly half a million but there are only a few direct services between the two countries, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, who is on a visit in Australia, said at the signing ceremony.

The route is a precursor to starting direct flights to more destinations in Australia, Dung added.

Direct services between Vietnam’s southern metropolis, Ho Chi Minh City, and Melbourne operated by Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific carried around 259,000 travelers last year, Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) data shows.

Australia is among Vietnam’s top 10 tourism feeder markets with 387,000 arrivals in 2018. Australian tourists spent on average VND36.6 million ($1,580) per trip in Vietnam last year, according to the Vietnam Tourism Annual Report published by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

China is Vietnam’s biggest tourism market last year with 4.9 million arrivals but its tourists spent an average of only VND19 million ($819) per trip.

Bamboo Airways was established in July as Vietnam’s fifth airline, and currently operates 27 routes. It plans to increase this to 37-40 by the end of this year, including new long-haul routes to Europe and the Americas, the carrier stated.

Vietnam now has six domestic carriers: Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, Jetstar Pacific, Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO), Bamboo Airways, and newly-licensed Vietstar Airlines, a military-run company.

Hospitality group Thien Minh’s KiteAir, tourism firm Vietravel’s Vietravel Airlines and business conglomerate Vingroup’s Vinpearl Air are vying to be the seventh national carrier.

Van Don Airport near Ha Long Bay receives first international flight

Van Don International Airport, Vietnam’s first private airport and situated near Ha Long Bay, received its first international flight from China on Monday.

Vietnam, Nepal ink visa exemption pact, direct flights loom

Vietnam and Nepal have signed a visa exemption pact and are set to start direct flights soon.

Dong Hoi – Da Nang seaplane flights to be launched in May

The first seaplane flights between Dong Hoi in the north-central coastal province of Quang Binh and the central coastal city of Da Nang will be launched from May 4 by Hai Au Aviation JSC.

Vietnamese carrier to launch direct flight from Saigon to Bali

Vietjet Air will be the first Vietnamese carrier to fly directly to a highly popular tourist destination Bali in Indonesia.

AirAsia operates first flight on Can Tho-Kuala Lumpur air route

Flight AK 575 of Malaysia’s AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur to Can Tho international airport landed its first journey on April 8 morning. 

Source: VnExpress