The first direct flight route between Israel and Vietnam is slated to launch in October, Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry said in a statement on Wednesday.
The new route was agreed upon in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi by Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and Israel’s Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat.
The direct flights will take about 8.5 hours in each direction, instead of at least 12 hours today with connecting flights.
The ministers also agreed to offer electronic visas for certain Israeli passport holders, waiving them in-person visa processing at the Vietnamese Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Barkat noted the decisions are “extremely significant achievements that will increase trade, business activities and tourism between the countries.”
In late July, Vietnam became the first country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to sign a free trade agreement with Israel.