The Prime Ministers of Australia and Vietnam came together to show their joy at the launch of direct flights between Vietnam and Brisbane.
When Heads of Government and Prime Ministers travel thousands of miles to get together it would be logical to assume they have really important things to thrash out. Although in Asia-Pacific that often involves donning the region's equivalent of a loud Hawaiian shirt for the group photo.
It was all dark suits and solemnity on parade yesterday when the Prime Ministers of Australia and Vietnam took center stage in Hanoi. In what must surely be one of the highest-profile route promotions ever, the topic on their mind was not the state of world affairs but Vietjet's upcoming first flight between Vietnam and Queensland.
The new route came in for special recognition at a Bilateral Meeting in Hanoi, held in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh were there to witness the presentation of a Testimonial of Appreciation to Vietjet.
Vietjet is building a strong presence in Australia and in April commenced nonstop flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Sydney and Melbourne. On June 16, the low-cost carrier will launch the first-ever direct flights between Vietnam and Brisbane, which will be operated twice weekly using an Airbus A330. Vietnam Airlines is also a regular sight in Australia and also came in for special mention when Prime Minister Albanese said:
"I am especially pleased to acknowledge today the announcements by Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet of increased direct flights to Australian capitals. And in the case of Vietjet, direct flights, for the first time, to beautiful Brisbane in the lead up to its hosting the Olympics in 2032.
"That will help the people-to-people relations as well as between us because this is a relationship built through infrastructure and economic activity. But what it comes down to is a relationship between our people that we need to grow in the future."
With all due respect to the airport and airline people who usually make these announcements, Vietjet has really scooped the pool with such a glowing endorsement by the Australian Prime Minister. Vietjet President and Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Vietjet CEO Dinh Viet Phuong, and Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski also attended the ceremony.
The new route will operate twice weekly on Monday and Friday using an Airbus A330-300, one of six in the airline's fleet of around 80 aircraft. The Vietjet A330-300 has a two-class layout of 377 seats, with 12 in business class and 365 in economy, although it does have a few premium-lite rows at the front as well.
The service will originate from Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN), departing at 10:50 and arriving at Brisbane Airport (BNE) at 21:55. With onward connections to 53 Australian destinations, Brisbane is an inspired choice for those wishing to see what else Australia has to offer, particularly to the ever-popular Great Barrier Reef and the Gold Coast. The return flight leaves Brisbane at 23:30 and lands in Ho Chi Minh City at 05:10 the following morning.
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Vietjet operates around 450 daily flights across 160 routes, including 52 within Vietnam. Internationally its network extends to Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Europe. For travelers from Brisbane, it is an attractive starting point for exploring Vietnam and Asia and a transit point for flights to Europe, particularly given the low fares offered by Vietjet.
Have you traveled with Vietjet? Let us know about it in the comments.
Journalist – A professional aviation journalist writing across the industry spectrum. Michael uses his MBA and corporate business experience to go behind the obvious in search of the real story. A strong network of senior aviation contacts mixed with a boyhood passion for airplanes helps him share engaging content with fellow devotees. Based in Melbourne, Australia.