Vietnam Airlines, the national flag carrier, on March 30 launched direct flights to China's Beijing Daxing International Airport, the world's second largest terminal building, strengthening travel connectivity between Vietnam and China  and expanding its international flight network.

The inaugural flight, VN516, departed from Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 0:45 AM on March 30 and landed at Daxing International Airport at 6:30 AM (local time). The return flight, VN517, took off at 8:30 AM and arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 12:25 PM (local time).

The new route operates five weekly flights with Airbus A321 aircraft, adding to Vietnam Airlines' 40 weekly flights between Vietnam and China, connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

In 2024, China remained Vietnam's fastest-growing tourism source market, sending 3.7 million visitors to Vietnam, rocketing 214% from 2023, according to the General Statistics Office.

 Vietnam Airlines will launch and restore 15 international routes in 2025, expanding its network to Italy, Denmark, the Middle East, Russia, and China.

This expansion is expected to strengthen Vietnam Airlines' role in the Asian aviation market, support bilateral trade and tourism with China, and contribute to Vietnam's goal of welcoming up to 23 million international visitors this year.

Last year, the national carrier transported nearly 23 million passengers across its network, an 8% increase over the previous year, and reached more than 99% of pre-pandemic levels in 2019.