Jetstar Airways adds non-stop flights from Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh City
10-May-2017 Melbourne Airport celebrated as Jetstar Airway's first non-stop flight to Ho Chi Minh City departed this morning carrying passengers on a 335-seat Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Jetstar Airways is the only Australian low-cost airline flying direct to Vietnam and will operate three weekly services on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday departing at 3:15pm.
Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation Simon Gandy said Jetstar Airway's Ho Chi Minh City service enables more Victorian jet-setters to travel abroad.
"We welcome Jetstar Airway's decision to expand into South East Asia making the travel destination more accessible for Victorian holidaymakers," Mr Gandy said.
"It's no secret why Vietnam is a popular holiday destination with its rich culture and traditions, cuisine and beaches. Interest in Vietnam is certainly strong with 247,000 passengers travelling between Melbourne and Vietnam in 2016. Jetstar's new service also provides the Vietnamese community with increased access to Victoria, enabling a direct connection to our world-class events, food and wine offering and arts and culture, as well as our picturesque coastal villages, wineries and alpine towns.
"According to the 2011 census data, more than 76,230 Vietnamese call Victoria home. This is a significant resident population and demonstrates the strong relationship between the two countries.
"One of the most important contributions Melbourne Airport makes to Victoria is to secure new airlines and viable routes that bring the rest of the world closer to our local population. We are committed to working closely with our airline customers to provide a great traveller experience that meets the demands of our growing international services."
Source: Melbourne Airport