National flag air carrier Vietnam Airlines has launched the first and only direct air service between Vietnam and Munich, Germany.

Le Duc Canh, executive vice-president of Vietnam Airlines, said the maiden flight departed from Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi for Munich at 00:05 on Saturday.

The launch marked a key milestone for the airline to expand its international services.

Following the inaugural flight, Vietnam Airlines plans to open a direct route between Ho Chi Minh City and Munich on Monday.

The twice-weekly flights depart from Hanoi on Fridays and Sundays, with return flights from Munich on Mondays and Saturdays.

The airline will offer a weekly flight departing Ho Chi Minh City for Munich on Mondays.

Two decades ago, Vietnam Airlines started operating an air route between Vietnam and Germany.

To date, the airline has run an estimated 14,000 flights and served over 3.1 million air passengers.

Operating the direct routes from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Munich not only opens up new opportunities for trade and tourism but also contributes to boosting the Vietnam - Germany comprehensive cooperation.

After the launch of these new air services, Vietnam Airlines will operate four routes from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Germany’s two big cities, Frankfurt and Munich, with a frequency of 14 weekly flights.

Munich is one of Europe’s major economic, cultural, and tourism hubs, and Vietnam Airlines sees this not only as a strategic destination but also as a promising market.

“As more direct flights between Vietnam and Germany are launched by a Vietnamese airline, passengers will have more options to fly between the two nations, especially on holidays and Tet [Lunar New Year], when overseas Vietnamese often return to their homeland for celebration,” said Viet, a 44-year-old Vietnamese in Germany.

Several local and international airlines are operating air routes between Vietnam and Germany.

Particularly, Vietnam Airlines and Germany’s Lufthansa are offering direct air services from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Frankfurt.

Other international air carriers such as Qatar Airways, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific, Turkish Airlines, Korean Air, and Asiana Airlines operate indirect flights between Vietnam and Germany with a stopover in Doha, Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Istanbul or Seoul.

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