Vietjet Opens First European Route, Linking Prague and Hanoi Twice Weekly

Vietnamese low-cost carrier Vietjet inaugurated its long-anticipated Prague–Hanoi service on 10 October, with the story breaking in Czech media on Sunday, 11 October 2026. The twice-weekly flights (Tuesdays and Saturdays) are operated by a 377-seat Airbus A330-300 and include a technical stop in Almaty, Kazakhstan, which can also be booked as a stand-alone sector. For Václav Havel Airport Prague the launch marks the arrival of a brand-new long-haul airline and the first ever direct link between the Czech Republic and Vietnam. The route has strategic importance for several reasons. Roughly 62,000 Vietnamese citizens live in Czechia, forming the country’s third-largest foreign community. Until now they have relied on time-consuming connections via Frankfurt, Istanbul or the Gulf. Direct service is expected to stimulate VFR (visiting-friends-and-relatives) traffic and boost bilateral trade—Vietnam is already Prague Airport’s fastest-growing long-haul cargo market. Airport chairman Radomír Lašák estimates the route could carry more than 67,000 passengers in its first year. For Vietjet, Prague is the airline’s first European destination and a springboard for further expansion into Central Europe. The carrier is aggressively targeting sixth-freedom traffic: through-tickets will connect Czech travellers to 40-plus Asian and Australian points, while offering Vietnamese and Southeast-Asian passengers one-stop access to Central- and Eastern-European capitals by codeshare rail and bus services. Corporate travel managers welcome the service because it shortens journey times on a growing trade lane—Czech machinery, automotive parts and medical technology account for most exports, while garments and electronics dominate imports. Travel-policy experts note that Vietnamese business-visa processing in Prague has recently been streamlined, allowing companies to move engineers and executives more quickly. Practical tip: although Czech citizens can enter Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days, travellers staying longer still need to arrange an e-visa in advance. Vietjet offers a bundled “VisaFast” option at booking, which outsources the paperwork to an accredited agency.