Dragonair underlines Vietnam’s role

Vietnam’s air travel market is said to be full of opportunities for domestic and foreign airlines. What angles do you hope to exploit in this market?

Vietnam’s air travel market is new and the population here is young, so the demand is going to increase. That’s an opportunity for Dragonair. As for challenges, I believe as the market is attractive and growing very fast, more foreign and domestic investors want to tap this potential, as evidenced in the recent appearance of many low-cost airlines. However, I believe each customer segment has a different preference and customers nowadays pick an airline not only to fly but also to experience and enjoy. I believe with the prestige and experience we have built for so many years, Dragonair will have the necessary tools to tackle the challenges no matter how hard they are. Personally I think these challenges will make our services better. We always want customers who have trusted and chosen Dragonair to be satisfied.

Dragonair has been operating the Danang/Hanoi - Hong Kong route for a long time. Can you shed some light on your business results from this route?

I’m proud to say that Dragonair’s performance on the Danang/Hanoi – Hong Kong has been strong. Due to the good results, we increased the Danang - Hong Kong flight frequency to seven flights per week from April. Danang has become Dragonair’s second destination in Vietnam after Hanoi. This route has contributed to expanding our network in Asia and given our customers more choices and convenience going to and from Vietnam.

Vietnam is becoming an important economic and tourist destination and we’re very excited to strengthen Dragonair’s position here. The new route to Danang will contribute to increasing the number of tourists between Hong Kong and Vietnam and strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a big international transit airport.

Vietnam’s central region is increasingly becoming a favourite travel destination. What plan does Dragonair have on opening a new route to this area, such as a Hue - Hong Kong route?

The central region is a popular destination, with many UNESCO world heritage sites such as Hoi An, My Son and Hue. The cultural, natural and historical diversity as well as its location in central Vietnam helped Danang become an ideal tourist destination. As I said, Danang remains a focus in Dragonair’s long-term plans. Moreover, I believe with Danang’s location, when customers want to go to other localities in the region, they can fly to Danang, then use another means of transportation to get to their desired destination.

We’re not yet able to talk more about new routes to other destinations in the central region. Of course, opening a new route will give our customers more choices and convenience and this is what Dragonair aims to do and it’s in our long-term plan, but opening a new route depends on many factors. When Dragonair opens a new route to other destinations in the central area, we will be very happy to tell the press and our customers.

As Dragonair’s new manager in Vietnam, what do you expect from the Vietnamese market in your term?

Vietnam’s air travel market has many opportunities and challenges for airlines, old and new alike. Your country is developing, has a young population, so the demand for air travel is going to increase together with economic growth and the rise in the living standard. The Vietnamese economy has a lot of potential and is very attractive to foreign investors and has seen many miraculous developments.

I’m confident that in my term I will continue to see more remarkable strides taken by the Vietnamese economy and the country’s air travel market. This market has something for everyone, but I believe customers increasingly have higher expectations when it comes to services and products. They only pick airlines that fit their need and expectations with high quality services and care.

Dragonair has always had our customers’ trust and I want to ensure this tradition continues. I am sure that Dragonair will grow and become stronger, my colleagues and I will work hard to realise this goal.