Phuket Airport gains new direct flights to Vietnam and China

Phuket International Airport in southern Thailand is gaining two new direct flights to China and Vietnam. The first is to Chongqing in China operated by Chongqing Airlines and the second is the first-ever service from Phuket to Hanoi in Vietnam serviced by VietJet.

Chongqing Airlines’ inaugural flight OQ2093 landed on the runway in Phuket yesterday afternoon with 128 tourists on board, reports the Phuket News. Tourists were welcomed with gifts from Airports of Thailand (AOT) staff.

An Airbus A320neo will service the new Chinese route four times per week throughout April and will increase to daily flights in May, according to AOT. Chongqing Airlines is the 61st airline currently operating flights in and out of the world-famous tourist hotspot.

Being the four largest cities in China by population, with a population of 16.34 million, the route is expected to bring tourists by the (Air)bus load, generating plenty of tourism revenue for the island’s recovering economy.

VietJet will operate Phuket’s first and only service to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, commencing May 19. The route joins the airline’s daily flight between Phuket and Ho Chih Minh City.

The airline will operate one daily return flight, departing from Hanoi at 11.35am and landing in Phuket at 2.40pm. The return flight will take off from Phuket at 3.45pm and arrive in Hanoi at 6.35pm. The flight time will be around three hours on both legs.

The airline operates plenty of flights from various Vietnamese cities to Bangkok as well as a Ho Chih Minh – Chiang Mai service.

Low-cost carrier Hong Kong Airlines recently announced the launch of a direct flight between Hong Kong and Phuket, starting June 16, 2023.

An Airbus A320 will service direct Hong Kong – Phuket route four times per week to meet rising demand as tourists return to Thailand in full force.

Taiwanese airline Tigerair will launch direct flights between Taipei and Phuket next month. Tigerair will be the only airline servicing the route, twice per week.