Vietnam Airlines holds a welcome ceremony for the crew and passengers on the first flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Beijing, China, via Beijing Daxing International Airport. (Source: VNA)

The first flight, coded VN516, officially departed from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City at 0:45 on March 30 and landed at Daxing International Airport at 6:30 on the same day (local time).

Meanwhile, the flight VN517 took off from Daxing airport at 8:30 am on March 30 (local time) and landed at Tan Son Nhat airport at 12:25 on the same day.

The new route will offer five weekly flights every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, using Airbus A321 aircraft.

With the launch of this air service, Vietnam Airlines operates a total of six routes between Vietnam and China with a frequency of 40 flights per week, connecting major cities of the two countries such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

The HCM City - Beijing route is expected to meet the growing travel demand between Vietnam and China. In 2024, more than 3.7 million Chinese visitors travelled Vietnam, an increase of 214% compared to 2023, making China the best-growing market for the year.

A representative from Vietnam Airlines stated that to mark the 30th founding anniversary (1995 - 2025), Vietnam Airlines will open and resume 15 international flight routes in 2025, continuing to expand its flight network to countries such as Italy, Denmark, the Middle East, Russia, and China.