The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on April 5 made the inaugural flight on its direct service linking the central resort city of Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa province) to Moscow.

The flight on a Boeing 777 took off from Cam Ranh Airport in the central province of Khanh Hoa at 11:15am with all the seats occupied.

This is Vietnam Airlines’ third direct air route between Vietnam and Russia . Initially there will be one flight a week, but it is expected to increase to two in October when the peak travel season begins for Russian vacationers.

Nha Trang has long been a favourite destination for Russian tourists for its temperate climate all the year round and beautiful beaches.

Addressing the service inaugural ceremony, Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang urged Vietnam Airlines and relevant agencies to speed up the upgrading of Cam Ranh Airport to serve as an international gateway for the region.

Russia has emerged as one of the top 10 largest markets of Vietnam’s tourism. Nearly 180,000 Russians visited Vietnam last year, of whom more than 82,000 arrived in Khanh Hoa via Cam Ranh airport.-VNA