Published:  00:00 Wednesday - April 20, 2011

Vietnam Airlines and foreign carriers have registered to operate many more services in the summer schedule given rising demand for air travel in and out of this country.

The aviation authority said just four airlines – Vietnam Airlines, China Southern, Tiger Airways and Korea Air – were conducting a total of almost 40 more flights, particularly between Vietnam and other destinations in Asia, in the summer schedule that lasts until late October.

Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi is handling seven weekly flights by China Southern compared to four in the winter schedule and seven by Tiger Airways as against three previously. Tiger is also increasing its weekly flights to HCMC to 28 from 21 while Korea Airlines has 14 from seven.

Vietnam Airlines is the biggest operator of extra international services from and to Vietnam as this national flagship airline is adding at least 18 flights to its international weekly schedule, including seven to Bangkok, four to Singapore, two to each of Melbourne and Sydney, one to each of Paris, Moscow and Beijing.

Vietnam Airlines is pressing ahead with its development strategy that also covers expanding the international flight coverage and launching new air routes in order to become one of the leading carriers in Southeast Asia. The airline is expected to commence services between Danang and Taiwan next month and fly to London later this year.

Vietnam’s expanding aviation market has attracted new players in recent months, and Sichuan Airlines is a case in point. This Chinese carrier launched service to Vietnam in March, with weekly flights China’s Chengdu and Nanning and HCMC, and on the Chongqing-Hanoi route.

Sichuan Airlines is the sixth Chinese carrier to launch China-Vietnam services behind Air China, China Southern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines and Hainan Airlines.

The aviation authority said several foreign carriers had applied for their flights to Vietnam from the middle of this year to tap the potential of the market, which recorded increases of over 16% in passenger number and 11% in cargo volume.

 On the local front, Vietnam Airlines offers 10% more in seating capacity for the Hanoi-Danang route compared to the winter schedule, 9% for the Hanoi-HCMC, and 2.2% for the HCMC-Danang run. Every week, the carrier operates one more flight between Hanoi and Nha Trang, three for the Hanoi-Dalat, and two for the Hanoi-Tuy Hoa route in the summer schedule.

Source: The Saigon times