Vietjet will initially operate three return flights per week between Melbourne and Ho Chi Minh City using Airbus A330 aircraft, with plans to grow to a daily service by December 2024.

Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer Lorie Argus said Vietjet’s new service will provide even more capacity between Melbourne and the popular Vietnamese destination.

“We are thrilled to welcome Vietjet to Melbourne for the first time, and to be part of their plans for expansion in Australia,” she said.

“Vietnam is both a really popular destination and an important source market, and the addition of Vietjet increases total Vietnam seat capacity this year to 153 per cent of what it was pre-Covid.

“Australians love visiting Vietnam, and Vietjet’s non-stop services are conveniently timed to provide great travel options between the two countries. Services will offer an evening departure from Melbourne, allowing travellers to land in Ho Chi Minh in the morning, providing seamless connections to domestic destinations or facilitating a day of business in Vietnam.

“With its extensive international network, Vietjet can also offer low-cost onward flight options to destinations including India, Japan and South Korea via Ho Chi Minh City.

“For the thousands of people in Victoria who were born in Vietnam or have Vietnamese ancestry, this service provides an essential connection to family and friends back home as well as an opportunity for visitors here.

“Vietnam is the largest source market for education in Southeast Asia, with more than 41 per cent of Vietnamese international students in Australia choosing Victoria as their study destination, so this is yet another option for them to travel Down Under to study at our world-class higher learning institutions.”