Vietravel Airlines launches first international air service

The airline plans to operate the Hanoi-Bangkok-Hanoi service every day in the first place.

At a ceremony in Hanoi on December 15 to announce the route, Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Nikorndej Balankura expressed hope that there would be more flights connecting major tourism cities of both countries in the future, thus helping to further promote cultural exchanges and develop the tourism industry.

Tran Huyen Thanh, director of Wild Lotus Travel company, said recent years has seen Thailand among the top destinations for Vietnamese tourists, largely due to its proximity to Vietnam, convenient travel procedures, and reasonable travel costs.

Vietnamese tourists to Thailand usually visit for many purposes, such as business, beauty care, health care, or shopping, she added.

After nearly two years of offering services domestically, with over 6,000 flights operated to major tourism destinations across Vietnam, this is the first time that Vietravel Airlines has joined the international aviation market by launching its maiden international flights between the Vietnamese and Thai capitals.

Thailand was Vietnam’s fastest growing tourist market before the COVID-19 pandemic, with the number of visitors from the neighbouring country rising by 146% year on year to 509,800 in 2019.

Furthermore, the number of Vietnamese tourists visiting Thailand in 2019 reached over 900,000.