The first flight on the route departed from Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi and landed at Lijiang Sanyi International Airport on July 30.

Bamboo Airways uses Airbus A320NEO for the route, and runs three flights per week  the first phase.

The route helps to shorten the travel time between the two cities to two hours, saving four to 16 hours compared to transit flights.

According to the budget airline, the direct flights are expected to further contribute to meeting the passengers' travel demand between the two cities, as well as enhancing bilateral exchange across multiple fields between the two countries.

By operating direct flights to one of China's major cities, Bamboo Airways has proved its efforts in connecting Vietnam with key Asian markets after recently launching a series of flights to Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Thailand, and Singapore.