Vietnam Airlines, the national flag carrier, on May 20 officially opened its Hanoi-Mumbai air route, marking its second route connecting Vietnam and India.

The airline’s first flight departed from Hanoi and landed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj international airport in Mumbai at 9:20pm (local time).

The return flight left Mumbai to Hanoi on the night of the same day.

Delegates attend the lighting ceremony and perform the inaugural ceremony of the air route in Mumbai. Photos: Vietnam Airlines

At the opening ceremony, the Consul General of Vietnam in Mumbai, Hoang Tung, Deputy Consul of Vietnam in Mumbai Tran Phuong Anh, and representatives of Vietnam Airlines and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Airport attended the lighting ceremony, a solemn ceremony of India in the opening events, performed the inaugural ceremony of the air route in Mumbai.

The new route of Vietnam Airlines will make an important contribution to strengthening trade and socio-cultural connections between Vietnam and India.

The carrier will operate four flights per week on the Hanoi – Mumbai route on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and three flights on the Ho Chi Minh City – Mumbai route on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, using Airbus A321. Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra state, is the second most populous city in India after New Delhi.

A passenger receives flowers and takes souvenir photos with the airline's staff at the ceremony.

Last June, the carrier launched its first direct route between Vietnam and India’s capital city of New Delhi. 

Vietnam Airlines Deputy General Director Trinh Ngoc Thanh said: "We hope that the new air routes connecting the two countries will bring many benefits to the two countries, strengthen the bilateral relationship and sustainably develop the economy."

In recent years, India has become one of the leading trading partners with close and extensive relations with Vietnam, especially in tourism. It is one of the ten countries with the biggest search volume for tourism in Vietnam. 

More than 109,000 Indians visited the Southeast Asian countries in the first 11 months of 2022, marking an average monthly growth rate of 49%, and making India one of Vietnam’s top five source markets, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.