HCMC – Local carrier Vietravel Airlines began international operations on December 16 by inaugurating daily round-trip flights between Hanoi and Bangkok, Thailand.

The flight is scheduled to take off at 11:55 a.m. from Hanoi using narrow-body Airbus A321 aircraft. It is Vietravel’s first foreign service after two years of operation.

The airline had begun selling tickets for its first international routes, between Hanoi/HCMC and Bangkok, since November.

Vietravel Airlines plans to begin service flights between HCMC and Bangkok in January 2023.

According to Vu Duc Bien, general director of Vietravel Airlines, the company has been preparing for the initiative for a long time, and launching the trip to Thailand is the first step toward entering the international market.

Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Nikorndej Balankura expressed optimism that the two countries would be able to increase bilateral tourist cooperation given the rapid growth of aviation operations.

In 2022, some 373,000 Vietnamese came to Thailand, ranking fifth among international visitors to Thailand. In turn, Thailand became Vietnam’s third biggest source of tourists.