Just over a month after Vietjet started its first flights to Australia, Vietnam Airlines is planning to expand the number of routes and flights it offers to Australia.

Melbourne Airport will get a new connection to Vietnam in June when Vietnam Airlines begins flights from Hanoi.

The carrier plans to launch a twice-weekly service from Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport to the capital of Victoria on 15 June. Service will be operated on Thursdays and Sundays utilising a 305-seat Airbus A350-900 aircraft, adding 65,000 seats per year to the route; Vietnam Airlines now flies from Ho Chi Minh City to Melbourne six times per week. From June, frequencies will be increased to daily. The SkyTeam alliance member also operates daily flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Sydney and a twice-weekly service from Hanoi.

The proposed increase comes as Vietjet prepares to enter its next growth phase in Australia. The airline debuted on 8 April, connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Melbourne, with a second service from Ho Chi Minh City to Sydney which began on 22 April.

With the commencement of a twice-weekly service from Ho Chi Minh City on 16 June, Brisbane will become Vietjet’s third Australian destination.

According to data from Vietnam’s General Statistics Office, trade between Vietnam and Australia hit a record of $12.4 billion in 2021. Air freight shipments from Victoria to Vietnam were valued at $113 million in 2021-22, up 77% from the previous year.

Victoria is also a famous tourist and study destination for Vietnamese visitors. Around 9,500 Vietnamese students are now enrolled at Victorian universities, making them one of the largest international student groups in the country.