First direct air route between Vietnam and Philippines launched

The inaugural flight, VN648, departed from Ho Chi Minh City at 12:50 a.m. on June 17 and landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila at 4:20 a.m. the same day.

The national carrier will operate seven flights per week between the two Southeast Asian countries, four on the HCMC-Manila route and the remainder on the Hanoi-Manila one.

Vietnam Airlines views the Philippines as a promising market and targets to serve tourists, business travelers, the community of nearly 30,000 Vietnamese residing in the Philippines and around 7,000 Filipinos living in Vietnam.

In recent years, Vietnam has become attractive for Filipino visitors thanks to its geographical proximity, affordable travel costs, and rich cultural heritage. The Philippines, meanwhile, is also a regular destination for Vietnamese travelers.

As the strategic partnership between the two countries is growing soundly, Vietnam Airlines’s launch of direct flights is expected to open up numerous opportunities for the sides' tourism, trade, socio-economic, and cultural development.