Vietnamese low-cost carrier Vietjet officially launched its routes to Australia with an inaugural flight from Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) to Sydney’s Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) on April 13, 2023.
It marks the beginning of six weekly return flights to Vietnam from Australia, departing from SYD airport and Melbourne Airport (MEL), with flights from Brisbane Airport (BNE) to commence from June 2023.
The Sydney – Ho Chi Minh City flights are operated three times per week on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Outbound flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Sydney will be flown on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
The flights are operated on Vietjet’s fleet of Airbus A330, with around nine hours of flight time.
VietJet joins Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar, and Vietnam’s newest carrier Bamboo Airlines in offering direct services between Melbourne and Ho Chi Minh.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)’s 2021 Census, most of the 320,758 Vietnamese speakers in Australia resided in Victoria and New South Wales.
A milestone for Sydney Airport
Vietjet’s inaugural flight also served as a milestone for Sydney Airport.
“For the first time in our 103-year history, we have 50 airlines operating through the airport at the same time,” the airport said in a tweet.