Vietravel Airlines has operated its first direct flight from Hanoi to China following the launch of the Nha Trang-Macau route in May.

The charter flight took off from Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi and landed in Sanya Phoenix International Airport in China’s Hainan province, carrying more than 130 passengers, mostly tourists.

Vietravel Airlines’ general director Vu Duc Bien said that China is a large market in Asia that the airline has targeted right from its establishment.

Initially, Vietravel Airlines will continue to operate charter flights to China to prove its capacity and make preparations for the exploitation of regular routes to China, which has added Vietnam into the list of countries to which China’s group tours can be conducted starting from March 15.

In the rest of 2023, Vietravel Airlines aims to expand its aircraft fleet, strengthen human resources training and develop its domestic and international flight network, he added.

In the first half of 2023, Vietnam welcomed 557,151 Chinese visitors. Vietnam has been one of the five largest suppliers of tourists to China for many years.