The Vietnam Airlines representative in Indonesia (third, from left) in a group photo with passengers of the first flight on the Jakarta-Hanoi route at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Indonesia. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam Airlines on November 23 officially inaugurated its new direct route linking Jakarta of Indonesia and Hanoi of Vietnam with the first flight departing from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, serving the growing travel demand between the two countries amid increasingly bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors.

The inaugural flight from Jakarta, coded VN634 and carrying 131 passengers, departed at 01:30 on November 23 and landed in Hanoi at 05:50 after 4 hours and 20 minutes. Earlier, in the opposite direction, flight VN635 left Hanoi at 20:15 on November 22 and landed in Jakarta at 00:40 on November 23.

Using Airbus A321 aircraft, which can accommodate up to 185 passengers, the Hanoi–Jakarta direct service is expected to further promote bilateral economic, trade and tourism exchanges.

According to the carrier, it is currently operating daily services connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Jakarta and Bali, while the new Jakarta–Hanoi route is set to see a frequency of five flights per week.

Tran Tuan Nghia, Vietnam Airlines’ chief representative in Indonesia, said the airline plans to increase the frequency from five to seven flights per week starting next April to better meet passengers' demand in both countries.

Made Hardika, director for human resources of Gapura Angkasa – Indonesia’s largest ground-handling service provider, noted the company has worked closely and effectively with Vietnam Airlines at both Soekarno–Hatta and Denpasar (Bali) airports.

He said the carrier’s expansion of routes in Indonesia has been highly impressive and effective, and expressed confidence in its further growth, contributing to stronger tourism, economic cooperation and connectivity between the two countries.