Vietnam Airlines Restarts Direct Hanoi–Moscow Flights After 3-Year Hiatus

Vietnam Airlines has officially reinstated its direct flights between Hanoi and Moscow after a pause of three years.

The first flight, designated as VN63, took off from Noi Bai International Airport at 9:45 a.m. on May 8th and landed at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow at 3:40 p.m., according to local time. This journey was filled to maximum capacity with 254 travelers aboard. Each passenger onboard was presented with special mementos by the country’s flagship airline to celebrate this significant moment.

Vietnam Airlines will run two weekly flights on the Hanoi–Moscow route, specifically on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Starting from July 2026, the carrier intends to boost this schedule to three flights each week to accommodate the growing number of travelers between the two nations.

These routes utilize wide-bodied Boeing 787-9 planes, featuring Skytrax 4-star facilities designed to guarantee traveler comfort over the approximately nine-hour flight duration.

Vietnam has consistently ranked as a major destination for tourists from Russia. Data provided by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism indicates that over 232,000 Russians visited Vietnam in 2024, marking an 84.9% rise from the previous year’s figures.

During the initial two months of 2025, Vietnam saw an influx of almost 80,000 Russian visitors, marking a significant increase of 204% compared to the same period last year. Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia stood as one of the top European sources of tourists for Vietnam back in 2019.

The non-stop flight between Hanoi and Moscow provides Russian visitors with easy entry into Vietnam, along with seamless connections to various locations throughout Southeast Asia. Similarly, Moscow continues to be an attractive spot for Vietnamese travelers who use it as a starting point for exploring Europe and Central Asia.

Beneficial policies like Vietnam’s 45-day visa-free entry for Russian tourists and Russia’s expedited online visa process for Vietnamese visitors, completed in just four days, are anticipated to significantly enhance bilateral travel. Alongside the reinstated direct flights, these elements are projected to stimulate substantial increases in tourist arrivals over the course of 2025.

To mark its 30th anniversary in 2025, Vietnam Airlines intends to reinstate 15 international routes to cities such as Rome, Mumbai, and Dubai.