National carrier to offer more flights to central Vietnam

Vietnam Airlines will operate more international and domestic flights to and from central Vietnam in the winter schedule and beyond in response to increasing demand for air travel to economic and tourist hubs in the region.

The airline will add four flights to its HCM City-Quy Nhon schedule on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays in addition to its daily service to the central coastal city.

Currently, Vietnam Airlines uses Airbus A320 for its services from HCM City and Hanoi to Quy Nhon in Binh Dinh Province. However, Vietnam News Agency quoted the airline’s representative in the city as saying that the carrier had been asked to operate the bigger aircraft Airbus A321 to match a pickup in air travel to the province toward the end of this year and early next year when the country celebrates the biggest Lunar New Year holiday, or Tet.

Vietnam Airlines announced it would carry out 46 charter flights between Hong Kong and Danang from next month to May 2011 under an agreement it signed with a partner there. The Airbus A321 configured with 184 seats will fly the route on Tuesdays and Fridays in the period.

The airline said more travellers in Hong Kong and visitors to this territory wanted to explore attractions in Da Nang as well as UNESCO-listed Heritage Sites of Hue, Hoi An and My Son Complex of Towers.

Vietnam Airlines has daily flights from HCM City and Hanoi to Hong Kong, which is considered as an international commercial hub in Asia.

At present, Vietnam Airlines is working with the authorities of Da Nang over a plan to open a direct service between this economic hub in central Vietnam and Japan later this year.

Besides Hong Kong, Vietnam Airlines is also rolling up its sleeves for chartered flights from Korea, Taiwan and other parts of China to the central coastal city of Da Nang, and vice versa from next month till January 2011.

As for the domestic segment, Vietnam Airlines plans its flights connecting Da Nang and the northern city of Hai Phong and the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho to bring more tourists to the central city and places of interest in neighbouring provinces. – Saigon Times

Tags: Vietnam aviation, Vietnam aviation industry, Vietnam aviation market