Emirates marks its 10-year presence in Vietnam

Country manager of Emirates in Vietnam and Myanmar - Mohammed Alwahedi.

How was Emirates’s business in the last 10 years in Vietnam and after the pandemic?

For the past 10 years, Emirates has been making important footprints and a great contribution to Vietnam.

Launching direct routes from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to Dubai, Emirates has been providing Vietnamese travellers with seamless connections to 130 destinations across Emirates’ global network.

To extend our commitment to facilitate and promote tourism in Vietnam from the United Arab Emirates and encourage tourism, foreign trade and investment, Emirates signed three MoU in 2018 with Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, the Department of Tourism, the Department of External Relations and Investment, and the Trade Promotion Centre of Ho Chi Minh City.

Emirates SkyCargo has also contributed to the thriving exports of perishables from Vietnam including mangoes, rambutans, passion fruit, dragon fruit, and lychees to markets in the Middle East and others.

During the pandemic, Emirates SkyCargo also transported medical supplies like face masks and electronic devices manufactured by Vietnam to targeted markets.

What is your assessment of the Vietnamese potential for the tourism industry?

According to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, the number of international tourists to Vietnam reached 602,000 in the first half of 2022, an increase of 582.2 percent over the same period in 2021.

As a significant player in the Vietnam market, Emirates is happy to contribute to that, as it has carried 1.6 million passengers between Dubai and Ho Chi Minh City from 2012 to date.

A Boeing 777-300ER Gamechanger aircraft operated by Emirates.

Vietnam's aviation market is competitive with many foreign airlines. Could you tell us Emirates' plans to improve its competitiveness?

As the largest international airline, Emirates has succeeded in reinforcing its fly better message across its global network.

With a fleet of 130 Boeing 777 and 120 A380 aircraft, Emirates operates the biggest, most modern, and efficient wide-body aircraft to over 130 global destinations across six continents, via its hub Dubai.

In January 2021, Emirates introduced its very own Premium Economy class for the first time. Since then, the airline’s Premium Economy has been highly popular among travellers and has rivalled the business class of many airlines.

Among its multiple awards that recognise the different aspects of the airline’s services and products, Emirates was also awarded a service excellence award for best airline staff service in the Middle East in 2018. In addition to its excellent onboard service, Emirates' award-winning loyalty programme, Skywards, also offers unique benefits for its members.

How will Emirates operate flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in the near future?

We have a 10-year rolling plan for our destination network based on our upcoming aircraft deliveries.

ASEAN, particularly Vietnam, is a prospective market for Emirates, so the airline is constantly looking for new chances to create more networks in the region.

At the moment, our key focus is to strengthen our operations and maintain and grow load factors as the industry continues to navigate recovery.

Emirates has been implementing digitalisation and decarbonisation. Could you tell us more about these two processes?

Digitalisation will change aviation’s operational efficiency and capacity, as well as how airlines connect and serve their customers. Emirates has implemented digitalisation solutions such as contactless technology and advanced self-services with self-check-in and baggage drop kiosks at Dubai International, coupled with experimental uses of blockchain, technology, cryptocurrency, and the metaverse.

At the Emirates Pavilion during Expo 2020 Dubai, the most popular attraction amongst the future of commercial aviation-themed experiences was the VR journey showcasing future aircraft cabin interiors.

Emirates is the first airline to launch its own VR app on the Oculus store, offering users accurate, life-size, and interactive cabin interior experiences onboard Emirates’ flagship A380 aircraft and Boeing 777-300ER Gamechanger aircraft.

With a vision of sustainability, Emirates has had several initiatives of decarbonisation.

We have a comprehensive fuel efficiency programme that helps reduce unnecessary fuel burn through the use of a robust fuel monitoring system, flexible route planning with air navigation partners, and air traffic management to develop efficient routes and aircraft weight management to reduce aircraft weight and thereby fuel burn.

We also consider the environmental impact when making decisions about purchasing future aircraft including the weight of the aircraft and the materials used to build the aircraft. Our new A380 aircraft reduce the fuel burn per passenger to levels below that of the B787 and A350, which are considered to be the most fuel-efficient jets.

We have invested in solar power systems to generate clean electricity at two of the airline’s major facilities in the UAE - Emirates Engine Maintenance Centre and Emirates Flight Catering. These installations help produce savings of over 3 million kilogrammes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

We implement initiatives related to onboard products, recycling efforts, and responsible suppliers. In addition, we prioritise suppliers that can demonstrate ethical and sustainable practices, while delivering good value and quality.

Outstanding milestones of Emirates in Vietnam

2012: Emirates launched daily flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Dubai.

2013: Emirates launched cargo-only services in Hanoi.

2015: Emirates operated a cargo flight from Ho Chi Minh City.

2016: Daily flights from Hanoi to Dubai with one stop in Yangon (Myanmar) started

2017: Direct flights from Hanoi to Dubai.

Mid-March 2022: Emirates has gradually boosted its frequency from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

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