Vietnam Airlines to launch new routes to Europe

The state-owned carrier said Tuesday that it will use the wide-body Boeing 787 aircraft for the routes.

There will be two flights per week on the Hanoi-Munich route, departing on Friday and Sunday and returning on Monday and Saturday.

There will be one flight per week on the HCMC-Munich route, leaving on Monday and returning on Tuesday. Another flight will be added every Wednesday starting from December.

Vietnam Airlines is the only Vietnamese airline to have direct routes to Europe.

Private carrier Bamboo Airways used to operate flights to Germany and the U.K. but had shut them down since the end of last year as part of its business strategy change.

Munich is the third largest city in Germany and an economic, cultural, and transport hub. The city is also famous for its mix of ancient and modern architectural structures and for the Oktoberfest beer festival held every October.

With the new routes Vietnam Airlines will have four routes from Vietnam to Germany, including the Hanoi and HCMC routes to Frankfurt. It also has flights from Vietnam’s two biggest cities to Paris and London.

The carrier's chairman Dang Ngoc Hoa said in January that it would open more international routes this year, with possible destinations being Milan, Copenhagen, Seattle and Vancouver.