Vietnam Airlines launches direct Hanoi – Melbourne route
VOV.VN - National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines officially opened a direct route between Hanoi and Melbourne on June 15, with two round-trip flights per week operating every Thursday and Sunday.
Flight VN779 departed from Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport on June 15 morning and landed at Melbourne airport in the afternoon of the same day.
Meanwhile, flight VN778 departed from Melbourne at 15:00 p.m. (Melbourne time) and is expected to arrive in the Vietnamese capital at 21:35 p.m. (Vietnam time).
At the launching ceremony, Deputy Ambassador of Vietnam to Australia Tran Le Phuong emphasised that the opening of the Hanoi - Melbourne route will further facilitate travel demand and help further promote economic-trade exchanges between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Nguyen Huu Tung, chief representative of Vietnam Airlines in Australia, revealed that the launch of the new air route is to meet the rising travel demand among Vietnamese people, especially those wishing to visit their relatives studying in Melbourne.
With the opening of the latest service, the carrier is keen to create a product that allows Australian tourists to connect to Europe, thereby shortening the time passengers have to wait for transit, he said.
Tung also outlined that the airline would seek to increase the number of flights from Hanoi to Melbourne to three flights per week.
It would also consider launching routes to Perth (Western Australia) and Darwin (Northern Australian Territory), as well as flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Brisbane (Queensland).
At present, Vietnam Airlines is operating the largest number of direct air routes between Vietnam and Australia –four routes with 18 flights per week connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with Sydney and Melbourne.
