The direct route is a part of the plan to develop flight network from Hanoi to other Southeast Asian countries.

From June 16, passengers travelling between Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur will save time because they will not have to transit in Ho Chi Minh City as before.

Mai Quoc Tuan, head of Vietnam Airline's representative office in Malaysia, said the Hanoi-Kuala Lumpur direct route also aims to relieve pressure on the Kuala Lumpur-HCM City route.

The direct route will benefit passengers connecting from Hanoi to European and Northeast Asian countries, he added.

Vietnam Airlines will use the A321 airbus with a capacity of 168 passengers, on the Hanoi-Kuala Lumpur route. Seven flights per week will be added and to promote the new flight, the national flag carrier is offering a special discounted price of VND2.5 million (equivalent to US$120) for return ticket.

To attract passengers, Vietnam Airlines will co-ordinate with Vietnamese and Malaysian travel agencies to design tours to famous destinations in northern Vietnam such as Ha Long Bay, Sapa and Ninh Binh.