Vietjet will commence the first-ever direct route from Kerala to Vietnam on August 12, 2023, marking an important milestone for the development of Kochi airport and the tourism industry of the two countries. Vietjet, operating a total of 32 flights a week between India and Vietnam, expects to further promote tourism, economic and trade cooperation, and the development of bilateral relations between Vietnam and India.

The Kochi-HCMC route, part of the strategic plan to expand connectivity between India and Vietnam, will operate with a frequency of 4 flights per week on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Flights from Kochi will depart at 23:50 (local time) and land in Ho Chi Minh City at 06:40 (local time). Return flights will depart from Ho Chi Minh City at 19:20 (local time) and arrive in Kochi at 22:50 (local time). Additionally, Indians can fly to Vietnam on Vietjet flights from Mumbai, New Delhi, and Ahmedabad to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, respectively.

Nguyen Thanh Hai, the Vietnamese Ambassador to India, stated at the event, “Vietjet’s opening of the route connecting Kochi and Ho Chi Minh City is a breakthrough that creates new impetus for economic, trade, tourism cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges between Viet Nam and South India. With Ho Chi Minh City’s favourable geographical location, visitors will easily explore destinations across Vietnam as well as travel from Vietnam to other countries and regions around the world. Congratulations to Vietjet, the airline operating the most air routes between our two countries, for pioneering the connection of Indian Tier 2 cities with Vietnam.”

S. Suhas IAS, Managing Director of Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), expressed his happiness regarding the announcement of a direct flight service from Kochi airport to Ho Chi Minh City. He stated, “We are confident that the launch of this new air route between Kerala and Vietnam from CIAL will be a significant milestone in the tourism industry, providing travellers with a convenient and direct transportation option to meet their requirements. Additionally, the opening of a new air route marks a pivotal moment in the history of airport operations, which will help our company open up new avenues for economic growth and cultural exchange.”

Jay L Lingeswara, Vietjet Vice President of Commerce, remarked, “With this new route, Vietjet will fundamentally increase connectivity between Vietnam and India. We expect that Vietjet will make significant contributions to the tourism growth of Kerala, India, and Vietnam through its wide range of products and services accompanied by competitive and reasonable fares.”

Kerala is ranked 8th out of 36 Indian states in terms of GDP and 6th in GDP per capita, placing it among the developed states of India. Kochi serves as the key international airport of Kerala, connecting 31 international destinations. In the first 5 months of 2023, India had 141,000 visitors to Vietnam, with an expected annual count of 500,000 visitors. In 2022, the number of Indian visitors to Vietnam reached 137,900, making India the 9th largest market for tourists to Vietnam. Vietjet’s new route is expected to bring approximately 10,000 more passengers from the southern region of India to Vietnam in 2023.

Ho Chi Minh City, with just over 300 years of history, is a young and dynamic city. The city’s variety of colors, scents, and sounds contribute to its reputation as the “Pearl of the Far East” and make it one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia for solo, couple, and family travelers. From Ho Chi Minh City, visitors can easily explore Vietnam’s famous coastal regions and cities using Vietjet’s extensive flight network and flexible and convenient flight times.

On this occasion, Vietjet extends its signature mega sale promotions for Indians on every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, offering one-way prices from only INR 5,555 (*), as well as discounted fares for Business and SkyBoss tickets, subject to availability. For more details, visit www.vietjetair.com.