Vietnam Airlines is the first domestic airline to open direct flights to Manila. (Photo: VNA)

The Hanoi-Manila route will have three flights per week, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Meanwhile, there will be four flights a week linking Ho Chi Minh City with Manila on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

Vietnam’s national flag carrier said it is the first domestic airline to open direct flights to Manila.

The new routes mark a milestone in its international flight network development strategy as they connect Manila, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, three leading economic hubs in Southeast Asia.

The opening of direct air routes to Manila will also help promote economic, cultural and tourism exchanges between Vietnam and the Philippines as well as throughout the Southeast Asia region, the firm added.