Arkia Airlines announced on Tuesday a major strategic expansion into the Far East, with the launch of a new, direct flight route to Hanoi, Vietnam, and the resumption of flights to Bangkok, Thailand.
The move positions Arkia as the only Israeli airline to offer direct flights to the Vietnamese capital and marks a significant step in the company’s post-crisis strategic plan.
The new routes will be operated using leased Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft, with an Israeli crew on every flight and a luxurious business class with lie-flat seats.
The first direct flight to Hanoi from Ben-Gurion Airport is set to depart on January 5, 2026. Initially, the service will be weekly on Mondays, with plans to increase to two weekly flights in March.
Flight time for the outbound journey is approximately 11 hours and 35 minutes, with one-way prices starting at $699.
A "Holiday for Arkia"
Flights to Bangkok will begin sooner (November 25, 2025), operating twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays; starting in January 2026, the days will shift to Wednesdays and Fridays.
The flight duration is around 10 hours and 45 minutes, with one-way fares from $499. Arkia also confirmed that its popular route to Sri Lanka will continue to operate.
Arkia CEO Oz Berlowitz called the announcement “a holiday for Arkia,” framing the expansion as a key stage in a strategic plan to compete with major international airlines.
“The launch of the New York route at the beginning of 2025 marked the beginning of our journey,” he said, noting that this experience prepared the company for the current large-scale move. Berlowitz added that after “two difficult years of war and dealing with unprecedented crises,” Arkia is focused on the future, aiming to expand its destinations and upgrade its service.
The announcement was met with enthusiasm from the diplomatic community. Thai Ambassador to Israel, Boonyarit Vichienpuntu, highlighted the strong tourism ties between the two nations, noting that over 400,000 Israelis had visited Thailand in 2024, making it the most popular long-haul destination after the US. The ambassador also expressed “deep gratitude” for Arkia’s assistance in evacuating Thai citizens following the events of October 7.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel Ly Duc Trung welcomed the new Hanoi route, stating it was “expected to strengthen the bilateral relations between Vietnam and Israel in the fields of tourism, trade, business, and connections between people, and cultural exchanges.”
He noted the timely launch – in the wake of the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement coming into effect in November 2024 – will make doing business in Vietnam easier for Israel, particularly in the hi-tech and innovation sectors.