First direct air route between Viet Nam, Israel opens
VGP - The first nonstop flight between Viet Nam and Israel, connecting the two capital cities, Ha Noi and Tel Aviv, was launched on January 5.
The new direct flight inauguration ceremony, Ha Noi, January 5, 2026
The flight departed Tel Aviv at 00:05 (local time) and arrived at Noi Bai Airport at 16:30 the same day, after approximately 11.5 hours in the air.
Under the initial plan, Arkia Airlines will operate one direct flight per week using a wide-body aircraft with a capacity of around 290 passengers. The return flight will depart Ha Noi at 7:40 p.m. and arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv at 2:25 a.m. the following morning, after nearly 12 hours of flight time.
From Tel Aviv, Vietnamese passengers can easily connect to destinations across the Middle East and Europe, while Ha Noi is expected to become a key gateway for Israeli travelers exploring Southeast Asia.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Israeli Ambassador to Viet Nam Yaron Mayer highlighted the importance of the route, noting that it not only shortens geographical distance but also strengthens people-to-people exchanges and opens new opportunities for bilateral cooperation in tourism, trade, investment, and innovation.
Meanwhile, Deputy Director of the Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai said the direct route is expected to strongly boost two-way tourism, particularly Israeli arrivals to Viet Nam. The Southeast Asian country aims to welcome around 300,000 Israeli tourists annually by 2030, with an average length of stay of about 15 days.
Following the signing of the Viet Nam–Israel Free Trade Agreement in 2023, the need for a direct connectivity route has become increasingly urgent, helping to promote bilateral trade turnover toward the goal of surpassing US$4 billion in 2026./.
