Want more direct flights to Vietnam? They’re coming. And Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for one is excited about it.
Speaking in Hanoi, where he is attending a bilateral event marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Australia, the PM welcomed upped capacity between the two countries.
“I am especially pleased to acknowledge today the announcements by Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet of increased direct flights to Australian capitals,” he said from the Vietnamese capital.
“And in the case of Vietjet, direct flights, for the first time, to beautiful Brisbane in the leadup to its hosting the Olympics in 2032, of course.”
Vietjet will launch the first-ever non-stop link between Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City) and Queensland on 16 June 2023.
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Albanese added the new service would “help the people-to-people relations as well between us, because this is a relationship built through infrastructure and economic activity”.
“But what it comes down to is a relationship between our people that we need to grow in the future,” he said from the event, where Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh was also in attendance.
Queensland secured the twice-weekly BNE-HCM Vietjet service through the Attracting Aviation Investment Fund partnership between Queensland international airports and the state government.
“The Prime Minister is right. These flights will grow our people-to-people connections,” Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff said.
“We can’t wait to welcome the first plane load of visitors from Vietnam in just under two weeks’ time.
“Vietnam is a rapidly growing market for Queensland and we are delighted to have Vietjet join the BNE family.”
Already flying to Sydney and Melbourne with its A330 aircraft, Vietjet says it intends to open even more routes between Australia and Vietnam in the near future. Among these could be either Adelaide or Darwin (or maybe both eventually).
Another Vietnamese carrier, Bamboo Airways also commenced flights to Australia last year.
So in any case, Vietnam-bound Aussies have more choice than ever for flights to the country. And that can only be a good thing.
When Sydney Airport welcomed Vietjet for the first time in April, the hub reached a milestone. Read more about that here.
