Vietjet has announced it would commence direct flights connecting HCM City with Melbourne (Australia) on March 31, 2023.
The ceremony to announce Vietjet's decision in HCM City on Tuesday was witnessed by Tim Pallas, Victorian Minister for Trade and Investment who heads the Victorian delegation on a working visit to Viet Nam and Dinh Viet Phuong, Vietjet Managing Director.
In his speech at the event, Victorian Minister for Trade and Investment Tim Pallas said the arrival of another airline from Southeast Asia is a win for the Victorian economy and local jobs, showing the strength of its tourism and export markets.
The first flights connecting HCM City and Melbourne, Australia will be operated with an initial frequency of three flights per week. The airline also expects to increase its operation to seven flights per week from December 2024 when market conditions are met.
With reasonable pricing portfolios for qualified services, Vietjet expects to offer flying opportunities to millions of passengers globally. Importantly, with a combination of Vietjet’s well-planned preparation backed by Vietnamese and Australian authorities, and significant support from the Victorian government, Vietjet flights will be a catalyst for sustainable growth in tourism, trade and economy of Viet Nam, Victoria, and Australia in the coming years.
Especially, with its existing extensive flight network, Vietjet will open up opportunities to explore Australia for tourists from Asian countries through its convenient and reasonable connecting service.
Australia and Victoria have long been popular tourism and study destinations. An estimated 123,000 visitors to Australia in 2019 were from Viet Nam. Data from Vietnam General Statistics Office reveals that in 2021, bilateral trade between Viet Nam and Australia reached a record of US$12.4 billion. This turnover is expected to further grow thanks to the arrival of Vietjet in Australian market in 2023.
Earlier, during a meeting with Vietnam’s National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. Tim Pallas shared plans to promote cooperation between Victoria and Viet Nam in areas where the state has strengths such as energy transition, education and training, aviation, and tourism in 2023 and the following years. — VNS