Everybody’s going to Vietnam

VIETNAM has consistently been topping bucket lists for the last few years, now it’s more possible than ever.

Girls MocChau

VIETNAM has consistently been topping bucket lists for the last few years, now it’s more possible than ever.

The astonishing mix of natural highlights and cultural diversity that is Vietnam is now more accessible than ever with the national carrier Vietnam Airlines increasing flights between Hanoi and Sydney to seven per week, from the previous three.

From the numerous national parks and the spectacular seascape of Halong Bay, to the buzzing culture of the big cities that provide ample opportunities to get stuck into Vietnam's tasty culinary highlights, this fascinating country has been one of Southeast Asia's most underrated destinations.

It’s no wonder that passenger volume between Vietnam and Australia grew nearly 4 percent on average from 2012-2016. In the first seven months this year, the number of passengers neared 213,000, nearly 23 percent of them departed from Vietnam and the remaining from Australia.

The carrier originally launched flight service between Ho Chi Minh City and Sydney and Melbourne cities of Australia in 1992, using wide-body Boeing B777 and Airbus A330.

In March 2017, the carrier upped its game with Hanoi – Sydney route with three flights per week on Boeing B787. In the first seven months of this year, the number reached 213,000, with passengers from Vietnam making up 23 percent and the rest coming from Australia, according to the transport ministry who calls it an “important and potential route”.

The new service is particularly special as it marks their 55th international route and adds to the more than 400 daily flights they operate globally. The new direct service not only increases the capacity between Australia and Vietnam, but also means a vast reduction of connection times to destinations beyond Vietnam, particularly to Europe and Northeast Asia, opening up more of the world to Australian travellers. In addition to this it’s the only carrier operating between the two cities.

Originally published as Everybody’s going to Vietnam