From May 8, Vietnam Airlines will resume direct flights from Hanoi to Moscow. Vietnam Airlines flights between the two cities were suspended in March of 2022 after the outbreak of the Ukraine War.
Flights were first suspended due to a need to “review and clarify procedures, requirements and regulations related to insurance and flight operations to Russia,” according to the national carrier and reported by VietnamNet. It is not clear how these issues have been resolved.
Notably, back in November it was reported that more than half of Russian airlines’ fleet of Airbus A320neo aircraft had been grounded due to engine problems that they were struggling to remedy on the back of Western sanctions limiting access to new parts.
With Russia being a key source of tourist arrivals for Vietnam (about 2 percent in the first two months of the year) grounded Russian airlines could create problems for the local tourism industry. If this was driving the resumption of flights, despite the risks, this would make sense.
See also: Tourism Industry in Vietnam