Vietnam Airlines Plans Italy Debut With Milan Route
Vietnam Airlines will become the sole carrier to offer nonstop service between Vietnam and Italy from next summer, with a new route connecting Hanoi and Milan Malpensa.
Vietnam Airlines will become the sole carrier to offer nonstop service between Vietnam and Italy from next summer, with a new route connecting Hanoi and Milan Malpensa.
Starting July 1, 2025, the service will operate three times a week—on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays—using Boeing 787 aircraft. This addition will bring the airline’s European network to nine destinations.
The carrier is currently the sole provider of nonstop flights between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and European cities such as Frankfurt, London and Paris. Munich will join its network in October, further expanding its European presence. Plans are also underway to introduce a Ho Chi Minh City-Milan route after 2025.
Vietnam and Italy established diplomatic relations in 1973 and upgraded to a strategic partnership in 2013. Vietnam is Italy’s largest trading partner in ASEAN, while Italy ranks as Vietnam’s fourth-largest trading partner in the European Union.
As well as encouraging further bilateral trade, it is hoped that the new route will stimulate additional tourism. In 2023, Vietnam welcomed 81,000 Italian tourists, nearly reaching pre-COVID levels, with a 32% increase in Italian visitors in early 2024 compared to the same period in 2019.
Meanwhile, Milan recorded 37,800 passengers traveling from the city to Vietnam in 2023—a 1.4% increase from 2019. The figure rose by 24% in the first quarter of 2024, according to data provided by Vietnam Airlines.
“The Hanoi-Milan service will not only cater to travelers from Italy but also attract passengers from other European countries,” a statement from the SkyTeam alliance member says.
“This new launch signifies Vietnam Airlines’ commitment to expanding its global network, offering greater flexibility to passengers, but more importantly, fostering economic, social, and political ties between Vietnam and Italy, as well as between Vietnam and Europe and beyond.”
