Bamboo Airways has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sydney Airport (SYD) to launch a new twice weekly route from Ho Chi Minh City (SGN).

It is hoped the service will boost tourism and provide greater connectivity between the two most populous cities in Australia and Vietnam.

The inaugural flight will take off on March 29 using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Bamboo intends to double frequencies to four times per week before the end of the year if demand is sufficient.

Sydney will become the carrier’s second destination in Australia after Melbourne (MEL), which it currently serves once a week from Ho Chi Minh City. Scheduled flights between Melbourne and Hanoi (HAN) will also begin on March 28.

“Vietnam is an incredibly popular destination for Australian leisure travelers and with a big Vietnamese diaspora in Sydney, it makes sense to build greater connectivity between our two cities,” Sydney Airport CEO Geoff Culbert said.

“There is so much to love about Vietnam, and with this service increasing tourism capacity by more than 60,000 seats every year, I know many travel-starved Australians will be keen to get out and see one of the most exciting destinations in Asia.”

According to a 2016 census, there were about 2 million people living in Sydney that were born overseas, with Vietnam accounting for around 81,000 of those.

Dang Tat Thang, CEO of Bamboo, said: “Bamboo Airways expects to provide a world-class flight experience to Australian travelers as well as the large Vietnam diaspora in Sydney, thus fulfilling the considerably increasing market demands in the post-pandemic period.

“With the valuable support of Australia’s busiest airport and the NSW government, we are committed to making the new regular nonstop Sydney-Ho Chi Minh City service a great success for both sides and look forward to further development in our partnership.”

Bamboo’s arrival into Sydney was supported by the New South Wales (NSW) Government’s Aviation Attraction Fund and is the first new international service to be confirmed since the fund was announced in October 2021.

Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said NSW was a key destination for Bamboo, with more than 123,000 Vietnamese visitors arriving in Australia in 2019.

“NSW has the highest percentage of Vietnamese-born population in Australia and with the reopening our international border we can once again look forward to welcoming the family and friends of our sixth largest migrant community,” Ayres added.

Data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser shows that Bamboo will compete in the Sydney-Ho Chi Minh City market with Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Airways.

The planned launch of the service comes days after Bamboo operated its maiden flight to Frankfurt (FRA) from Hanoi.