Passengers check in at Da Nang Airport. The city connects 24 international flights each day

Nguyen Xuan Binh, Deputy Director of the city’s Tourism Department, said the two sides had been discussing the project with airlines from both countries. The flight would lure more investors and tourists from Japan, he said.

In a meeting last year, Da Nang and Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture also planned to upgrade charter flights services to a regular air route between the two cities to boost investment, tourism and trade.

The city is home to 143 Japanese projects with total investment of 500 million USD, creating 32,000 jobs for local and neighbouring provinces.

Japanese visitors were Da Nang’s second largest tourist segment last year, reaching more than 400,000, 10 times as many as in 2013.

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and budget Jetstar Pacific Airlines already operate direct flights from Da Nang to Narita and Osaka.

Japan plans to open a Consulate General in Da Nang to boost tourism and exchanges between Japan and the central city.

The Japanese language is also being taught in some junior secondary schools following the city’s foreign language teaching programme for 2012-2020.

The city’s airport operates 24 direct international flights and 14 charter flights daily.