Vietjet has revealed plans to launch its first flights to Indonesia, with a new service connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Jakarta.

The route was announced at an event in the Indonesian capital attended by HE Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Indonesia, and Budi Karya Sumadi, Indonesia’s Minister of Transportation. Vietjet said the new route would “meet increasing demand for travel between the two countries and boost regional trading and integration”.

“Since its inception, Vietjet has been developing friendly and professional flight services in operating key international routes, helping connect Vietnam’s main business and tourism hubs with foreign destinations, including Jakarta,” said Dinh Viet Phuong, Vietjet’s vice president.

“With its mission of making air travel approachable and possible for everyone and building a future in the air, Vietjet’s new route from HCMC to Jakarta will boost ties between these two economic, cultural, financial hubs, thus help boost regional trading and integration.”

Commencing on 20 December 2017, the new service will operate daily, direct between the two Southeast Asian cities. Flights will depart HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 2040 and arrive at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at 2340, following a three-hour flight. The return flight then takes off at 0140 and lands back in HCMC at 0440.

Vietjet will become the first low-cost carrier serving the HCMC-Jakarta route, and Indonesia becomes the 12th Asian country or territory in Vietjet’s network.