People line up to check in for the first flight from Shizuoka to Hanoi at Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport in the city of Makinohara, Shizuoka Prefecture, on April 28, 2026. (Mainichi/Shiho Fujibuchi)
SHIZUOKA — Budget Vietnamese airline Vietjet Air on April 28 launched a new international route between Hanoi and Mount Fuji Shizuoka Airport in central Japan, marking the first scheduled flight linking Shizuoka with Southeast Asia.
The airline will operate three round trips a week on the route, aiming to boost tourism to Vietnam, home of the UNESCO World Heritage site Ha Long Bay and other attractions, while also drawing inbound visitors to Japan, who have surged in number in recent years.
At a commemorative ceremony, Shizuoka Gov. Yasutomo Suzuki said, “I am delighted as we had long hoped to open a Southeast Asian route. We hope many people will visit this prefecture and enjoy Shizuoka’s nature, hot springs and cuisine.” Ta Huu Thanh, the airline’s vice president, welcomed the launch, saying, “This will not only shorten the geographical distance but also strengthen ties between our two countries.”
A commemorative ceremony celebrates the launch of scheduled flights between Shizuoka and Hanoi at Mount Fuji Shizuoka Airport in the city of Makinohara, Shizuoka Prefecture, on April 28, 2026. (Mainichi/Shiho Fujibuchi)
The first flight from Hanoi arrived at Shizuoka Airport around 9:30 a.m. carrying 105 passengers. One 42-year-old tourist, Trieu Quoc Manh, who came with three family members, commented, “It was a smooth trip with no delays.” The family plans to visit Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, and Manh said with a smile, “Shizuoka offers easy access (to other parts of Japan), both east and west. I’m looking forward to seeing Mount Fuji.”
A total of 159 people boarded the outbound flight for Hanoi. A 27-year-old office worker from the prefectural city of Fujieda, Le Thi Hau, said she was using it to return home. “I had no choice but to go to Nagoya or Tokyo before, but now I can go back directly, which is convenient. The flight schedule is also good because it allows us to travel at relatively early hours,” she said.
(Japanese original by Shiho Fujibuchi, Shizuoka Bureau)
AloJapan.com