It looks like, after multiple postponements, Vietnamese low-cost carrier VietJet will finally launch the Hanoi – Hiroshima route first announced at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima in May 2023 on March 31, 2024.
Continue reading to learn more.
VietJet’s Upcoming Hanoi – Hiroshima Route
As mentioned in the introduction, VietJet first announced it would be adding Hanoi – Hiroshima flights on May 19, 2023, at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima. The announced July 2023 launch was then postponed to October 2023 but ultimately did not happen.
That said, VietJet has now filed a schedule for the route with the inaugural flight set to take place on Sunday, March 31, 2024. The flights are loaded into VietJet’s booking system but at this point are not yet available for sale, all showing as sold out.
From March 31, 2023, onward, the flights are expected to operate twice a week with the following schedule:
- VJ952 / Hanoi – Hiroshima / 06:00AM – 12:30PM / Thu, Sun
- VJ953 / Hiroshima – Hanoi / 1:30PM – 4:20PM / Thu, Sun
VietJet plans to use the A320 on the route. The aircraft is the smallest type in VietJet’s fleet and comes in two configurations. One has a total of 162 seats including 12 in business class and the other has a total of 180 economy class seats. It is not yet clear which one will fly to Hiroshima.
VietJet will be the only airline to offer a nonstop link between the two cities.
Hiroshima Will Be VietJet’s Sixth Destination in Japan
Currently, VietJet serves five Japanese airports including Fukuoka, Nagoya, Osaka Kansai, Tokyo Haneda, and Tokyo Narita. As such, Hiroshima will be its sixth destination in the country.
VietJet’s current Japan network consists of the following seven routes, all operated using the airline’s A321neo with 230 economy class seats, linking Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh with the airports listed above:
- Hanoi – Fukuoka (3x week)
- Hanoi – Nagoya (4x week)
- Hanoi – Osaka Kansai (double daily)
- Hanoi – Tokyo Narita (daily)
- Ho Chi Minh – Osaka Kansai (daily)
- Ho Chi Minh – Tokyo Haneda (daily)
- Ho Chi Minh – Tokyo Narita (daily)
In addition to VietJet, SkyTeam member Vietnam Airlines also flies from Hanoi to Fukuoka, Nagoya, and Osaka Kansai. The Vietnamese flag carrier also connects the last of those with Ho Chi Minh.
The Tokyo routes are much more competitive with not only VietJet and Vietnam Airlines connecting Japan’s capital with both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh but also Star Alliance’s ANA and oneworld‘s JAL serving the markets. Unlike VietJet, the three full-service carriers are using widebodies on the routes.
Summary
At long last, VietJet appears to be ready to launch flights to Hiroshima, which were first promised at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima last spring. The airline will operate the route twice a week starting from March 31, 2024, using the A320.
Unlike on the seven current Japan routes, VietJet will be the only airline offering non-stop flights between Hiroshima and Hanoi.
