HÀ NỘI — Thai AirAsia has announced the successful launch of its new direct Hà Nội–Luang Prabang route, making use of fifth freedom rights to allow the carrier to fly between two foreign countries.

The daily service started on December 1 and operates one flight per day, marking a significant step in the airline’s expansion in Việt Nam and reinforcing the strength of its regional network.

This milestone also reaffirms Thai AirAsia’s long-term commitment to bringing Việt Nam closer to the world and the world closer to Việt Nam, as the airline celebrates the 20th anniversary of services in the nearby country.

Speaking at the press meeting on Tuesday, Thai AirAsia CEO Santisuk Klongchaiya said: “The ability to exercise our Fifth Freedom traffic rights to establish this new connection between the capital of Việt Nam and the World Heritage City of Luang Prabang marks an important milestone for us.

"What we are offering is not just more flights, but a wider network. From Việt Nam, travellers can easily hop to Luang Prabang, Bangkok, Chiang Mai or beyond. This strengthens regional connectivity and allows tourism to flow across ASEAN.”

He went on to note that "Việt Nam is a rising star", as tourism is booming and demand for affordable, flexible travel options continues to grow.

"That’s why all airlines in the AirAsia Group are expanding their presence here," he added.

"This route allows Thailand, Laos and Việt Nam to grow together. Once tourists enter the region, they can explore more than one country. This kind of connectivity helps us strengthen our shared economic and tourism goals."

According to Santisuk, AirAsia recognises the importance of the Vietnamese market, and has committed to delivering world-class services.

The airline has been honoured by Skytrax as the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline for 16 consecutive years, and has also received the highest safety rating from airlineratings.com.

"Furthermore, Thai AirAsia is the most punctual low-cost airline in Thailand and ranks among the top five most punctual in the Asia Pacific, as ranked by Cirium. All these awards are excellent testaments to our success," the CEO said.

AirAsia has launched a promotion for the Hà Nội-Luang Prabang route with special fares starting from only VNĐ1,790,000 each way.

Seats offered at the promotional fares are available for booking until December 7 via AirAsia MOVE, the AirAsia website and various other channels, with travel available from January 6 through March 28, 2026. The route is serviced by an Airbus A320 aircraft with 180 seats.

Currently, Thai AirAsia operates the most direct routes between Thailand and Việt Nam with a total of six routes. These include HCM City, Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng, Nha Trang and Phú Quốc to Bangkok (Don Mueang) and Hà Nội to Chiang Mai.

The AirAsia Group maintains a strong network connecting Việt Nam to ASEAN with a total of 16 routes across seven destinations, operating more than 27 daily flights. — VNS