First nonstop air route between Vietnam and Northern Europe launched
The new route marks an important step in the national flag carrier’s European expansion strategy for 2025-2030, meeting increasing demand for travel, trade and family visits between Vietnam and the Nordic region.
THE HANOI TIMES — National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on December 16 inaugurated its first direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) to Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, marking the first direct connection between Vietnam and Northern Europe.
Vietnam national flag carrier inaugurates its HCMC-Copenhagen route at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Photo courtesy of Vietnam Airlines
The flight, VN39, departed Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 22:45 on December 15 and landed safely at Copenhagen Airport after more than 12 hours, carrying over 200 passengers aboard a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
On the return leg, flight VN38 departed Copenhagen at 22:50 local time on December 16 and arrived in Ho Chi Minh City later the same day, carrying more than 300 passengers.
Vietnam Airlines will operate three weekly round-trip flights using the wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Departures from Ho Chi Minh City are scheduled for Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings, with return flights from Copenhagen on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings.
Dang Anh Tuan, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Airlines, said the new route will strengthen air connectivity between Vietnam and Denmark and better serve the Vietnamese community in Northern Europe, estimated at about 70,000 people.
The service is also expected to support the steady growth of Nordic visitors to Vietnam in recent years, as the nonstop connection significantly reduces travel time between the two countries.
The first passengers on HCMC-Copenhagen inaugural flight. Photo courtesy of Vietnam Airlines
The direct connectivity also enhances Vietnam Airlines’ competitiveness, opens up new opportunities for tourism, trade and people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and Northern Europe.
The new route meets travel demand to Denmark and provides faster access to the wider Nordic region, as from Copenhagen Airport, passengers can easily connect to destinations across Sweden, Norway and Finland via a modern transport infrastructure and extensive regional network.
The Nordic market is seen as highly promising, particularly in winter, when travelers from Northern Europe seek warmer destinations such as Vietnam. With the launch of the Copenhagen route, Vietnam Airlines becomes one of the few Southeast Asian carriers offering nonstop services to Northern Europe.
Dang Anh Tuan said the Ho Chi Minh City-Copenhagen route further expands the airline’s European network, which already includes Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, London, Milan and Moscow.
He said that the new service marks a milestone in Vietnam Airlines’ 30-year development, reinforcing its commitment to intercontinental connectivity and to promoting Vietnam’s image, culture and people worldwide.
In mid-November, Vietnam Airlines signed a memorandum of understanding with Copenhagen Airport covering infrastructure use, service quality improvements and joint promotional campaigns to boost tourism and investment between the two regions.
