A passenger completes check-in procedures for a Hanoi-Milan flight at Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi. Photo: Vietnam Airlines
Departing from Hanoi, flight VN73, operated by the airline, landed safely at Milan Malpensa Airport at 7:40 am on Tuesday (local time) with 155 passengers on board.
Upon arrival, a formal welcome ceremony was held at the airport, attended by Vietnam’s Vice-State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, leaders of the Lombardy region, and airport officials.
Return flight VN72 departed at 12:45 pm the same day and touched down at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport at 4:35 am on Wednesday (Hanoi time), completing the round-trip and marking the establishment of this new international route.
Vietnam Airlines operates the Hanoi-Milan air service using wide-body Boeing 787 aircraft, with a frequency of three round trips per week on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Each leg of the journey takes some 12 hours.
The Hanoi-Milan route, the airline’s 10th non-stop air service to Europe, is expected to boost two-way passenger traffic between Vietnam and Italy.
The opening of the air service to Milan, Italy’s second-largest economic hub and a strategic gateway to southwestern Europe, was aimed at enhancing Vietnam Airlines’ market presence across the continent while offering Vietnamese travelers improved access to a broader European network.
Dang Ngoc Hoa, chairman of Vietnam Airlines, said that the Hanoi-Milan route not only shortens the geographical distance, but also creates vast opportunities for tourism development and economic exchange between the two countries.
He described the launch as a strategic step in efforts to fulfill Vietnam’s goal of welcoming 22-23 million international visitors in 2025.
Data from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism indicated that Italy ranked among the top 10 fastest-growing tourism source markets in 2024, with arrivals in Vietnam soaring 55 percent compared to 2023.
