Beijing-Hanoi flight resumes after three years of COVID-19 hiatus. Photo: Bich Thuan

The Vietnam Airlines flight VN513 departed at 15:30 (local time) from Beijing and landed in Hanoi at 17:55. The airline organized a welcome ceremony at Beijing Capital International Airport with the attendance of Vietnamese officials and the passengers.

Quan Bao Ruan, one of the first Chinese passengers on the flight, said this is his first time coming to Vietnam. Working in the trucking industry, he wants to take the opportunity of the post-pandemic economic recovery to meet with dealers to plan future growth in the Vietnamese market. “Vietnam has had the highest growing economy in Southeast Asia in recent years and we are very optimistic about the future of the Vietnamese market,” he said.

China is one of Vietnam Airlines' largest international markets. The airline has to date resumed most of its routes to destinations in China, including flights between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Guangzhou and Shanghai and between Hanoi and Beijing.

The airline plans to reopen four more routes between Da Nang and Guangzhou, Shanghai and Chengdu, between Hanoi and Chengdu, as well as increase the use of wide-body Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft on China routes.