The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on December 30 opened a new air route connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Van Don international airport in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh, which officially became operational on the same day.
This is one of the important contents in the strategic cooperation agreement between Vietnam Airlines and Quang Ninh province.
The first flight on the route used a Boeing 787 wide-body plane, departing from Tan Son Nhat international airport at 7:20 and landing safely at the Van Don international airport at 09:25 on the same day.
Duong Tri Thanh, General Director of Vietnam Airlines, said the route is part of Vietnam Airlines' strategic plan to expand its domestic flight networks and develop a tourism axis in the northern coastal region.
In 2019, Vietnam Airlines will research and work with the local authorities and the Van Don international airport to build programmes on attracting foreign tourists, especially those from the Republic of Korea, Japan and China.
With the frequency of one flight per day, the Ho Chi Minh City-Van Don air route is operated by Airbus A321 aircraft in line with four-star international service standards. Flights depart from the Tan Son Nhat international airport at 14:00 and from the Van Don airport at 16:45 with an estimated flight time of two hours and five minutes.
The route is hoped to enhance connection between the south and the northeast region, meeting the demand of tourism and trade exchange between the southern economic hub of HCM City with Quang Ninh province and adjacent localities, while meeting the growing demand of cargo transportation when Van Don officially becomes a special economic zone in the future.