Just when you thought Vietjet’s growth spurt in Australia was (for now) over – in less than 12 months, the airline has launched in Melbourne and Sydney, as well as directly linked Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide with Vietnam for the first time – the airline has revealed a new service Down Under, announcing the start of non-stop flights between Melbourne and Hanoi.
Unveiled today at the Vietnam-Australia Economic Forum 2024 taking place in Melbourne, the new route is expected to boost leisure and business travel between the Victorian and Vietnamese capitals, and complements the airline’s Melbourne-Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) route launched in April 2023.
According to Vietjet, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomed the new route at the forum, which forms part of this week’s ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.
Commencing 3 June 2024, the new route will operate twice per week, departing Melbourne on Monday and Friday at 1710 (local time). With a flight time of around 10 hours, return flights will depart Hanoi on Tuesday and Saturday at 7:30 (local time).
“We are excited to announce the new route today. It reaffirms our commitment to offer all Australians and tourists alike with unparalleled opportunities to enjoy unique experiences to a myriad of captivating destinations across Vietnam,” Vietjet Vice President, Nguyen Thi Thuy Binh said.
“We anticipate that this new service will serve as a catalyst, fostering enhanced tourism and economic cooperation between the two nations.”
Speaking to Karryon in Australia, Ms Nguyen described the new route as part of its “mission” to not just expand Vietjet’s services but to boost bilateral tourism.
With the route, she says Vietjet aims “to give more chances for the people of Vietnam and Australia, and even those in another country, to have the chance to… experience, enjoy Australia and enjoy Vietnam”.
Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation Jim Parashos said the news reflects the impact of bilateral agreement liberalisation between the two countries.
“The expansion of bilateral agreements gives airlines like Vietjet the certainty they need to invest and expand operations in Australia,” he remarked.
“This additional capacity will provide further vital direct links for study, trade and tourism between Vietnam and Australia at the same time as putting significant downward pressure on airfares.
“Outbound, Vietnam is now in the top ten travel markets for Melbourne and inbound we are the number one destination in Australia for Vietnamese visitors, so we expect this service to be a very popular one.
“Prior to the pandemic traveller numbers to Vietnam were well behind other Southeast Asian markets such as Malaysia and Indonesia, but in 2024 those figures have flipped with Vietnam now leading the way.”
The new Vietjet service comes after Vietnam Airlines launched Melbourne-Hanoi flights in June 2023.
Aussie expansion
Utilising its A330 and A321 aircraft, Vietjet currently operates 58 weekly flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Australia’s five biggest ports in five different states.
In April 2023, the low-cost carrier launched in Australia with nonstop journeys between Melbourne and SGN (Tan Son Nhat International Airport), followed later that month by Sydney-SGN flights, and in June, Brisbane-SGN services.
Two months after announcing an increase in flights to Australia (which was less than a month after launching), Vietjet announced a further increase in frequencies, from 20 to 34 flights per week. It then added 22 weekly flights to its Australian schedule in December 2023, increasing services to 48 flights per week ahead of the busy holiday season.
In November 2023, Vietjet flew from Adelaide and Perth to Vietnam for the first time, making the budget airline the first carrier to connect South Australia and Western Australia to the Asian nation.
Vietjet has endeared itself with Aussie travellers through initiatives like a 24-hour flash sale for 8/8, which offered passengers 88 per cent off airfares to any destination in its network and a one million ticket sale from AU$200 to mark the start of the Vietnamese summer season.
