At 3:50 AM on 16/6, flight VN83 departed from Noi Bai International Airport, carrying nearly 300 passengers to Amsterdam. The national airline utilizes a wide-body Airbus A350 aircraft for this journey.

After approximately 12 hours of flight, the aircraft landed at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. In the return direction, flight VN82 from Amsterdam to Hanoi took off at 2 PM local time on the same day. This event marks the first time Vietnam has a direct flight to the Netherlands.

The inauguration ceremony for the Hanoi - Amsterdam direct route. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

Vietnam Airlines maintains a consistent flight schedule with three round-trip flights weekly, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Establishing this new route directly connects Hanoi with Amsterdam, one of Europe's key economic, financial, and logistics centers. Passengers now have a convenient travel option, significantly reducing time compared to previous connecting itineraries.

Nguyen Quang Trung, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Airlines, stated the Hanoi - Amsterdam route reflects the airline's focused international network development strategy. He explained that the airline's goal is to bring Vietnamese passengers closer to major global centers while facilitating easier travel for international visitors to Vietnam. "As the national airline, Vietnam Airlines continues to invest in improving service quality and expanding operations to meet actual market demands," Trung said.

Passengers on the Hanoi - Amsterdam flight receive souvenirs. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is one of the continent's largest aviation gateways, boasting a network connecting to hundreds of global destinations. The direct route offers passengers more flexible access to other European cities via this transit hub. This significantly boosts tourism, trade, and economic cooperation between the two nations.

With Amsterdam added to its operational list, Vietnam Airlines increases its total number of direct routes between Vietnam and Europe to 12, serving eight destinations. Cities currently in the airline's network include Paris, London, Frankfurt, Munich, Milan, Copenhagen, Moscow, and Amsterdam.

In addition to its expansion plans in the Netherlands, Vietnam Airlines announced an increase in frequency for the Hanoi - Moscow route starting from 1/7. The airline is raising the number of flights from three to four weekly round-trip flights to meet the rising travel demand between Vietnam and the Russian Federation.

Thanh Thu