National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines plans to officially open direct flights between Hanoi and Melbourne, Australia, starting from June 15.

Flights will be operated with Airbus A350 aircraft and have a frequency of two round-trips a week on Thursdays and Sundays. It is expected to create more favorable conditions for passengers wishing to travel, visit relatives, work, or study in Australia’s second largest city, according to the carrier.

Australia currently ranks fourth among Vietnam Airlines’ most important markets. With the opening of the new Hanoi - Melbourne service it becomes the airline offering the most direct flights between the two countries. It now operates a total of four direct flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Sydney and Melbourne, with a total frequency of up to 18 flights a week.

Australia was Vietnam’s 12th-largest aviation market in 2019, with a total capacity of nearly 900,000 passengers, of which more than 400,000 were carried by Vietnam Airlines.

Last year, against a backdrop of incomplete pandemic recovery in some countries around the world, Australia rose to become Vietnam’s eighth-most important market.