I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali, has an additional fleet to serve flights to Vietnam, marked by the inaugural flight of Vietnam Airlines with a direct route to and from Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnam Airlines officially opened a direct route from Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) to Denpasar (DPS) with the first landing on Sunday, the 1st of June. Vietnam Airlines flight number VN641 landed at Ngurah Rai Airport at 3:01 PM Bali time, carrying 154 passengers. Afterwards, the plane took off back to Ho Chi Minh City at 4:54 PM Bali time with flight number VN640, carrying 119 passengers.
This route will be served using an Airbus A321 aircraft and is scheduled to fly four times a week, namely every Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. According to the plan, the flight frequency will increase to daily services starting in July.
Acting General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Wahyudi, enthusiastically welcomed the presence of the Ho Chi Minh City – Denpasar round-trip route.
“After being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam Airlines will resume operations at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. The opening of the Ho Chi Minh City – Denpasar route not only enriches the choice of destinations for tourists, but also shows the trust of international airlines in Bali’s tourism potential, which continues to grow,” he said as quoted from the press on Monday, the 2nd of June.
Wahyudi also remarked, “The addition of this route is in line with PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia’s commitment to continue improving air connectivity and providing the best service for airport service users. We hope that this flight can increase the number of tourist visits from Vietnam to Bali, as well as open wider business and cultural opportunities for both countries.”
Previously, routes to and from Vietnam were served at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport by VietJet Air, operating the Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi routes. The Vietnam route itself recorded services to 151,903 passengers from the beginning of 2025 until April, with an average of 1,200 passengers per day. Meanwhile, during that particular period, the number of arrivals of foreign nationals from Vietnam at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport reached 6,724 people.
“With the return of Vietnam Airlines, it certainly improves passenger service at the Ngurah Rai airport with various flight options to various destinations. We also continue to coordinate with various parties to further increase routes and flight frequencies both domestically and internationally,” added Wahyudi.