Seoul, July 2, 2024 - Vietnam Airlines celebrated the 30th anniversary of its nonstop service between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) and welcomed the 15 millionth passenger. The airline also signed agreements with Korean partners during the official visit to the RoK of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation.

Vietnam Airlines’ entry into the RoK started with the first direct route linking Ho Chi Minh City and Seoul. This route has not only provided a convenient connectivity but also significantly fostered trade, commercial and cultural ties between the two countries.

The airline currently serves six direct routes including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Seoul and Busan; Da Nang and Cam Ranh to Seoul, with an average frequency of 112 flights per week. Vietnam Airlines is also the first and only airline in Vietnam to operate state-of-the-art fleet on these flights such as the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787, allowing passengers to travel in style and comfort.

Over the past three decades, Vietnam Airlines has operated 65,000 flights with 15 million passengers and 291,300 tons of cargo between Vietnam and the RoK. Before Covid19, the annual growth rate in passenger numbers reached 26% with a total of about 1.3 million passengers in 2019. Despite the unprecedented impact of the pandemic, the airline  returned to pre-pandemic levels and witnessed major leaps in 2023 as shown by 562,000 passengers transported in the five months of 2024.

Dang Ngoc Hoa, Chairman of Vietnam Airlines, said that the achievement over the past three decades underscores Vietnam Airlines' deep commitment to the RoK – a strategically important route. “We will continue to focus on our network expansion, fleet modernization and ramp up operations in the RoK, and especially elevate service quality at every touchpoint. Our vision is to constantly strengthen cooperation and partnerships with airlines, partners, and stakeholders in the RoK.”, shared Dang Ngoc Hoa.

As part of the Prime Minister’s visit, Vietnam Airlines signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Korean Air and travel companies in the RoK. Under the agreement, both sides will promote bilateral investment and tourism, further complementing the strengths in advertising, marketing, and the creation of aviation products and services.

Vietnam Airlines' direct flights to the RoK have contributed to economic growth, tourism, and cultural exchanges. The two nations upgraded their bilateral relation to a Comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022.

Since the direct route’s establishment, the RoK has emerged as one of Vietnam’s international markets with the most rapid growth with an average annual growth rate of 22% before the pandemic. In 2019, 9.65 million passengers traveled between the two countries. In 2023, this number has recovered to 85% of 2019 levels at 8.25 million. In the first five months of 2024, 4.4 million passengers traveled by air between the two countries. Vietnam offers tourists a unique set of characteristics and is a top-of-mind destination for Korean tourists, while the RoK continues to attract Vietnamese people to visit for leisure purposes, study, and work./.