On June 11, a direct flight from Ningbo Lishe International Airport to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, became the first regular international passenger route connecting the two cities and the first new international passenger route added to the city's air network this year, according to Tide News.

The new flights are scheduled to operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Passengers boarding from the Ningbo airport on flight MU871 will depart at 21:50 Beijing time and arrive in Ho Chi Minh City at 1:35 local time the following day. Conversely, return flight MU872 will leave Vietnam's capital at 2:35 local time and land in Ningbo at 7:55 Beijing time.

Prior to this regular service, the Ningbo airport had briefly operated chartered flights to Ho Chi Minh City in 2015, providing a convenient travel option for tourists and business travelers between East China and Vietnam. In 2021, Vietnam Airlines also commenced a regular cargo route between the two cities, transporting textiles and cross-border e-commerce goods from Ningbo to Ho Chi Minh City.

"The launch of direct passenger flights to Ho Chi Minh City is a testament to the Ningbo airport's commitment to international expansion and meeting the growing demand for more travel options," said an official of the airport's marketing department.

The airport aims to further strengthen its international connectivity by expanding its route network to Southeast Asia and other international destinations in the coming year.