Vietnam Airlines opens first direct link between Vietnam and the Netherlands

Vietnam Airlines inaugurated its first non-stop service between Hanoi and Amsterdam on June 16, marking the airline’s first direct link between Vietnam and the Netherlands. The inaugural flight carried nearly 300 passengers aboard an Airbus A350, arriving after a 12-hour journey. The route will operate three times weekly—on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays—adding Amsterdam as Vietnam Airlines’ eighth European destination. This expands its network to 12 direct routes across the continent, including Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London, Milan, Moscow, Munich, and Paris. The new connection is expected to strengthen economic, trade, and cultural ties between Vietnam and the Netherlands, Vietnam’s largest export market in the EU and a key investor in sectors like agriculture, climate adaptation, and food security. Officials from both countries emphasized the route’s role in facilitating business travel, tourism, and educational exchanges, particularly for the Vietnamese diaspora in the Netherlands. The launch also enhances Vietnam Airlines’ position within the SkyTeam alliance, as Amsterdam Schiphol—SkyTeam’s largest global hub—now hosts 15 member airlines. This provides passengers with broader onward connectivity across Europe. For Vietnam Airlines, securing access to Schiphol, one of Europe’s most competitive airports, is a milestone in its growth strategy. The carrier aims to achieve a five-star airline standard by 2030, viewing the new service as a commercial opportunity and a symbol of Vietnam’s increasing global integration in aviation and trade.