Vietnam Airlines on May 1 launched a new direct flight route connecting Hanoi with Bengaluru - India’s leading tech hub, with four weekly round-trip flights.

Its inaugural flight, VN983, took off from Hanoi on May 1 with over 130 passengers and landed in Bengaluru the same day. The return leg, VN982, departed Bengaluru that night carrying more than 160 passengers, touching down in Hanoi at 5:25 am on May 2.

From  May 7, the airline will also connect Hanoi to Hyderabad, another key Indian tech centre, with three weekly round-trips.

Both routes use Airbus A321 aircraft.

With these additions, Vietnam Airlines now serves four major Indian cities - New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad - through six direct routes. The expansion responds to rising demand for travel, fueled by growing trade, tourism, and cooperation between the two nations.

India is one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, with a population of over 1.4 billion and a growing middle class. By connecting to tech hubs like Bengaluru and Hyderabad, Vietnam Airlines reaffirms its role in bridging Vietnam with South Asia, its Deputy General Director Dang Anh Tuan was quoted by the Vietnam News Agency as saying.

Since entering the Indian market, Vietnam Airlines has operated over 3,200 flights and served over 511,700 passengers. In 2024 alone, Vietnam welcomed over 500,000 Indian visitors, ranking India among its top 10 tourism markets.