Direct Prague–Hanoi flights launch, bringing Vietnam closer to Czech families

Vietjet Air launched its Prague–Hanoi service Oct. 10, establishing the first regular route between the two cities in modern Czech history and adding a new connection for families, tourists and businesses.

Flights operate twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, using an Airbus A330-300 with 377 passenger seats. Although described as a direct service, the route includes a scheduled stop in Almaty, Kazakhstan, rather than flying nonstop.

The launch has particular significance for Czechia’s Vietnamese community, whose ties with the country stretch back decades. Nearly 70,000 Vietnamese citizens live in Czechia, alongside people of Vietnamese heritage who hold Czech citizenship.

Under the launch schedule supplied by Vietjet, flights leave Prague at 8:55 p.m. and reach Hanoi at 4:20 p.m. the following day, with a 90-minute stop in Almaty. The scheduled journey takes approximately 14 hours and 25 minutes, accounting for the time difference.

In the opposite direction, flights depart Hanoi at 8:25 a.m. and arrive in Prague at 6:55 p.m., also stopping in Almaty for 90 minutes. All departure and arrival times are local.

Passengers can buy tickets for the full Prague–Hanoi journey or travel only between Prague and Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city.

Return fares start at approximately CZK 18,000. That is a quoted starting price, with the actual fare depending on the travel dates and booking conditions.

Prague Airport’s announcement estimates that the route could carry more than 67,000 passengers in both directions during its first year. The airport said more than 75,000 passengers traveled between Prague and Hanoi in 2025 using connecting services.

The route also makes Prague Vietjet’s first European destination, according to the airport. Its network offers onward connections across Asia, extending the service’s potential beyond Vietnam.

The Czech Statistical Office recorded 69,685 Vietnamese citizens living in Czechia at the end of 2025. They were the third-largest foreign-citizen group after Ukrainians and Slovaks, accounting for approximately 6 percent of foreign residents.

Citizenship figures do not represent the entire Vietnamese-origin community: people who hold Czech citizenship are outside that foreign-resident count.

The community’s history predates today’s travel market. According to the Czech government’s historical overview, a school for 100 Vietnamese children opened in Chrastava in 1956. Larger numbers of apprentices arrived from 1967, followed by workers and trainees from around 1982 under cooperation arrangements with socialist Czechoslovakia.

After 1989, opportunities to settle and establish businesses helped the community take lasting root. Vietnamese representation on the Government Council for National Minorities followed in 2013.

Those enduring family connections are central to the new route’s expected demand. Prague Airport says it anticipates travel to visit relatives in both directions, alongside tourism and business journeys.

Travelers can check availability for the new Prague-Hanoi route through Vietjet’s booking website.