Starting in May, Vietnam Airlines will reinstate its direct flight route between Hanoi and Moscow, operating twice weekly with wide-body aircraft.

This announcement was made by the national carrier of Vietnam on March 14. Previously, Vietnam Airlines suspended the Hanoi-Moscow route in March 2022 due to geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

According to the airline’s schedule, flights connecting Hanoi and the Russian capital will resume on May 8. Initially, Vietnam Airlines will operate two flights per week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, using Boeing B787 wide-body aircraft. By July 2026, the frequency may increase to three flights per week.

During Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, in October 2024, the Vietnamese community expressed their desire for increased commercial flights between Vietnam and Russia to facilitate travel and trade between the two nations.

Currently, Russia’s IrAero airline operates flights from Irkutsk to Hanoi with a frequency of two flights per week. Additionally, since early last year, direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Moscow have also been reinstated.

Russia remains a key market for Vietnam’s tourism and trade industries. In 2024, the total number of travelers between the two countries reached over 220,000, more than 2.3 times the figure recorded in 2023. However, this number still represents only 26% of the pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Vietnam Airlines stated that the resumption of the direct Hanoi-Moscow route will significantly contribute to the robust recovery of the aviation and tourism sectors in both countries. By the end of this year, the airline plans to launch or restore 15 international routes to key destinations, including Italy, Russia, Denmark, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and the UAE.