Addressing the launch, Hiroshima Governor Yuzaki Hidehiko said his prefecture boasts close relations with Vietnam as seen in many of its large enterprises running in the Southeast Asian country and a Vietnamese community in Hiroshima.

He added that he hopes the new air route will open up many more opportunities for cultural, economic, and tourism cooperation between the two sides.

Yasuhiro Nakamura, CEO of Hiroshima International Airport, highlighted the special importance of the Hiroshima - Hanoi route of Vietjet as it is the first international air route to this airport to be opened after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yasuhiro expressed his hope that the Vietnamese airline will launch more routes to Hiroshima to expand the connectivity with the southwest of Japan, pledging that the airport and relevant sides will give support to increase flight frequency when travel demand grows.

Deputy General Director of Vietjet Nguyen Duc Thinh said the firm is operating 116 flights per week between Vietnamese cities and leading destinations of Japan such as Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, and now Hiroshima.

It will continue expanding its flight network between Vietnam and Japan to generate more travel chances at low costs for people and tourists between the two countries as well as in the region at large.

Flights on this route last for more than four hours each. There are currently two round-trip flights per week, on every Thursday and Sunday./.