Article from BTNews 30 JANUARY 2017
Additional flights for Vietnam
Vietnam routes are in the news in the Far East, with Qantas subsidiary Jetstar entering the market to Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon from Sydney and Melbourne and VietJet announcing its latest international route connecting Hanoi and Singapore.
Jetstar is taking on the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, which has had a monopoly on the Ho Chi Minh City route and has a daily operation. Jetstar’s Melbourne flights start on 10 May and the Sydney service the day after. Both airlines are using the B787 for the 8hr flights.
Vietjet’s new daily route begins operation on 27 April and is designed to meet what the airline calls increasing demand from business travellers as well as the leisure market for travel between Hanoi and Singapore. Flight time is about 3hr.
Hanoi becomes Vietjet’s second link to Singapore after Ho Chi Minh City. The airline also has plans to connect Dalat and Danang with Singapore in the future.
Meanwhile, the Vietnamese government has proposed a $860m (about £680m) upgrade including two new terminals for Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat International Airport, boosting its capacity to 45m passengers a year from the current 25m.
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