New-age carrier Vietjet kicked off its first ever direct flight connecting Vietnam (Hanoi) with Japan (Osaka) yesterday.

The inaugural flight departed from Hanoi and landed in Kansai International Airport (KIX), Osaka in the morning, to which a special celebration featuring the ‘Kagami Biraki’ – a traditional Japanese performance usually performed for opening ceremonies, was held to welcome the flight.

To add to the merriment of the occasion, passengers on board the debut flight from Osaka to Hanoi were also treated to outstanding Vietnamese folk dance performances which showcased traditional Vietnamese culture to all passengers on board the flight. Passengers on board both flights also received exclusive gifts courtesy of Vietjet which includes brocade bags and other special Vietjet merchandise.

Featuring Vietjet’s new and modern A321neo aircraft, the Hanoi – Osaka route is operated with a daily return flight of more than four hours per leg. The flight departs from Hanoi at 1.40am and arrives in Osaka at 7.50am, while the return flight from Osaka departs at 9.20am and lands in Hanoi at around 1.05pm (all local times).

Vietjet’s new service to Osaka brings the airline’s total number of international routes to 64, joining a network that spans 11 countries. The airline will soon launch two other routes to Japan from Vietnam namely the Ho Chi Minh City – Osaka (Kansai) route starting 14 December 2018 and the Hanoi – Tokyo (Narita) route which kicks off on 11 January 2019.

The Osaka – Hanoi route is the first service that Vietjet and Japan Airlines offer as a code-share flight. The two airlines have also offered code-share flights on some of Vietjet’s domestic routes, including Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi – Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City – Da Nang.