PM attends launching ceremonies for new air routes in Bangkok

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (5th from left) at the launching ceremony of Viet Nam Airlines' air routes in Bangkok, Thailand on November 2, 2019. Photo: VGP

Specifically, Viet Nam Airlines inaugurated two air routes, namely Phuket-Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok-Da Nang with the frequency of five and seven flights per week, respectively, raising the national flag carrier’s total weekly flights between the two countries to 52.

Meanwhile, Vietjet Air also opened two new air routes from Bangkok and Chiang Rai to Udon Thani-home to the biggest Vietnamese community in Thailand.

Thailand has been one of Viet Nam Airlines’ largest markets with annual growth of 15% between 2015 and 2018, according to a representative of the Viet Nam Airlines.

The national flag carrier has transported over 700,000 turns of tourists between the two countries in the first half this year, up 6% compared to the total figure of 2018.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (4th from left) cuts the ribbon to inaugurate Vietjet Air's routes in Bangkok, Thailand on November 2, 2019. Photo: VGP

Meanwhile, Vietjet Air said the carrier has served 9 million turns of tourists between Viet Nam and Thailand.

Vietjet Air is operating 5 routes from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Chang Rai, Phuket, Krabi, Phuket and 17 international air routes from Thailand to Viet Nam and China.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul congratulated the Viet Nam Airlines and Vietjet Air for their new air routes to Thailand’s famous destinations, Chiang Rai and Udon Thani.

The new air routes will further facilitate tourism exchanges, thus helping promote trade and investment cooperation between the two countries, he added.

Thailand is one of Viet Nam’s strategic partners and the two-way trade rose from US$6 billion in 2009 to US$18.6 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach US$20 billion by 2020, according to Vietnamese Minister of Trade and Industry Tran Tuan Anh.

The same day, PM Phuc witnessed the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding on investment cooperation between Petro Viet Nam Power Corporation and Thailand’s B.Grimm Group.