Vietnam’s newest airline Bamboo Airways will begin direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Melbourne in April 2022.
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is Vietnam’s business and financial hub. Melbourne is the first Australian destination for Bamboo Airways, which was launched in 2019.
The airline will initially schedule two flights per week from April 1, 2022, with plans to increase operations to four flights per week, and add direct flights from/to Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, later in the year.
The 11-hour direct flight from Ho Chi Minh to Melbourne will be operated by a Boeing 787-9 with 294 seats across three classes.
The Victorian State government has welcomed the arrival of the new airline to its capital of Melbourne. Vietnam is one of Victoria’s top export markets, with the value of goods reaching $497 million (AU 695 million) in 2020-21.
Vietnam also makes up one of the largest international student populations in Victoria, with about 8000 Vietnamese students currently enrolled at Victorian schools and universities.
Victorian Trade Minister Martin Pakula told local media that the new airline would support thousands of jobs in Melbourne’s aviation industry and along the supply chain.
“Attracting new international airlines to Melbourne is an important way we are investing in our economic recovery,” Pakula said.