On April 9, 2024, Vietnam Airlines celebrated the 30-year anniversary of its first flight operation in China, as well as the 100,000th flight on this route. It was attended by the National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang and senior leaders of the two countries.

Thirty years ago, Vietnam Airlines served the first scheduled flights to China, linking Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with Guangzhou. Vietnam Airlines has enhanced its flight network expansion to other mesmerizing destinations in China such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Kunming...by the modern Airbus and Boeing aircraft. The airline is operating 33 return flights per week on routes between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai.

Over the past three decades, Vietnam Airlines has carried nearly 12 million passengers and 166 thousand tons of goods on the service across 100,000 flights. Overcoming the adversity of Covid-19, Vietnam Airlines became one of the first airlines to resume flights to China and actively maintain aviation and tourism promotion activities in this market when the pandemic was under control.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang appreciated Vietnam Airlines’ efforts for its contribution as an engine of socio-economic growth over the past three decades.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that in the future Vietnam and China will deepen its cooperation across many fields and aviation will play a vital role in promoting Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation. He set a target for the aviation industry to continue its outstanding record of operational excellence and better flight operation between the two countries. He also requested the relevant agencies and departments of both sides to support the aviation industry and Vietnamese airlines, including Vietnam Airlines, to successfully achieve their goals.

Vietnam and China officially established diplomatic relations in 1950. After 74 years, the relationship between Vietnam and China has flourished, paving the way for the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership in 2008. China remains Vietnam's largest trading partner for many years, with the import and export value estimated at nearly 172 billion USD in 2023, while Vietnam is China's largest trade partner among the ASEAN member countries, and China's sixth largest trade partner in the world.

In the field of tourism and aviation, China a very important market to Vietnam's aviation industry. Before the pandemic, the total aviation capacity between the two countries in 2019 exceeded 3.1 million passengers. The number of Chinese tourists accounts for approximately 30% of the total number of international visitors to Vietnam and has a good spending level while Vietnamese tourists are also among the top foreign tourist markets to China.

At the anniversary ceremony, Mr. Dang Ngoc Hoa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietnam Airlines, said: "The decision to open flights to China 30 years ago has strategic commercial significance for Vietnam Airlines. It is a testament to the strong relationship we have built with China and its people in terms of cultivating diplomatic, economic and cultural ties. Over the years, Vietnam Airlines has made tireless efforts to develop the market and achieve today's results.  We remain committed to improving connectivity and service quality, thereby promoting our role as a major economic and aviation contributor  between the two nations."

Vietnam Airlines has been strengthening cooperation with partners and customers in China to diversify product and service offerings. Moreover, the airline continues coordinating with Chinese agencies, travel companies, and partners to foster tourism. 

Also on April 9, Vietnam Airlines and China Southern Airlines signed a draft Joint Venture agreement. Subject to regulatory approvals, the two airlines will enter into a joint venture arrangement that would deepen the cooperation between the two carriers, increase passenger capacity between Vietnam and China, and offer customers more travel options between the two countries.

This cooperation will allow both carriers to coordinate schedules,  offering customers more seamless flight connectivity between the two countries and beyond. Vietnam Airlines and China Southern Airlines will also explore the implementation of new initiatives including  an alignment of corporate programmes to enhance the value proposition to customers. At the same time, cooperation also creates favorable conditions for the two airlines to exchange insights and ideas to increase business efficiency.