Aviation news7 min read
Planned schedule
On the winter timetable the route operates four times a week — Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday — on an Airbus A321 configured with 16 Business and 168 Economy seats (184 seats). Times below are local; note that Hangzhou is one hour ahead of Hà Nội.
| Days | Sector | Departs | Arrives | Block time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Fri | Hà Nội → Hangzhou | 16:05 | 20:10 | 3h05 |
| Hangzhou → Hà Nội | 21:15 | 23:35 | 3h20 | |
| Thu, Sun | Hà Nội → Hangzhou | 18:45 | 22:50 | 3h05 |
| Hangzhou → Hà Nội | 23:55 | 02:15 (+1) | 3h20 |
(+1) The Thursday and Sunday night flights land in Hà Nội in the early hours of the next day.
On the summer timetable all four weekly flights share one set of times: Hà Nội → Hangzhou departs 16:15, arriving 20:20; Hangzhou → Hà Nội departs 21:20, arriving 23:40.
Why this route matters
- Non-stop, just over three hours. A block time of about 3h05–3h20 each way is short enough for a tidy business trip or a long weekend — with no connection through a third city.
- Access to the Zhejiang economy. Hangzhou is Alibaba's home and the heart of the tech and e-commerce ecosystem around it, with heavy two-way business travel to northern Vietnam.
- A destination in its own right. A Chinese saying holds that "above there is heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou" — and Hangzhou's West Lake is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Hà Nội – Hangzhou sector already sees Chinese-carrier service; a Vietnamese airline entering the route adds choice of timings, product and loyalty for travellers departing Hà Nội and the northern provinces.
What Hangzhou offers
West Lake and its legends
West Lake (西湖) is the heart of Hangzhou: a broad expanse of water rimmed by the Su and Bai causeways, punctuated by the Broken Bridge, the Leifeng Pagoda of White Snake legend, and the Baochu Pagoda on the hill above. The whole landscape was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011. Not far away is Lingyin Temple, one of the oldest and largest Buddhist temples in China, beside the Feilai Feng stone carvings.
Longjing tea and the western hills
West of the city lie the green terraces of Longjing (Dragon Well) — China's most famous green tea — around the villages of Longjing and Meijiawu. It is a place to walk among the tea rows, stop at a teahouse, and learn how the locals brew a cup of spring Longjing.
The Grand Canal, silk and the table
The Grand Canal — the ancient waterway linking the north to Hangzhou, itself a World Heritage Site — reaches its southern end in the city, with canal-side old quarters worth an evening's walk. Hangzhou is also a historic silk capital; its cooking is known for Dongpo braised pork, shrimp stir-fried with Longjing tea, and West Lake fish in vinegar sauce.
A technology city
With around 12.6 million residents, today's Hangzhou is one of China's leading digital cities — the home of Alibaba and the centre of an ecosystem of e-commerce, payments and cloud computing. It also hosted the 2023 Asian Games, which left behind new infrastructure and a refreshed cityscape.
Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport (HGH)
The route lands at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH), one of China's largest and busiest — it passed 50 million passengers in 2025, operates three passenger terminals and is building a fourth (T4). From here there are wide onward connections across China, handy for itineraries reaching deeper into the country.
Book through TripWise.vn
As soon as Vietnam Airlines opens sales, agents and corporate clients can call 037 463 9192 for TripWise.vn to check availability, hold and issue Hà Nội – Hangzhou tickets for the exact dates and cabin required. Companies needing VAT invoices and credit terms for business travel can see our corporate flight service.
Airline profile: Vietnam Airlines.
The schedule, operating days and aircraft type above follow Vietnam Airlines' winter 2026 network plan and are subject to change. All times are local. Once on sale, the official timetable and seat availability appear in the airline's own system; where they differ, Vietnam Airlines' published information is authoritative. TripWise.vn publishes this for agents, corporate clients and travellers.
Photo credits
- Cover — Leifeng Pagoda over West Lake at sunset: Yinweichen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- Hangzhou skyline with Baochu Pagoda: Yinweichen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- Longjing tea fields, Meijiawu: Peter K Burian, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
