Vietnam Airlines launches new services on Hanoi-HCM City route

Wide-body aircraft is used on the Hanoi-HCM City route (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi - National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has introduced new services on the Hanoi-HCM City route with a view to improving its domestic market share in the context of international flights being affected by COVID-19.

Hanoi-HCM City - world’s second busiest route

According to the Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation (CAPA), the Hanoi-HCM City is the world’s second busiest route in terms of seat capacity, just after Seoul-Jeju in the Republic of Korea.

Connecting Vietnam’s two economic hubs, the route has played an important role in the business operations of the Vietnam Airlines Group (comprising Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, and the Vietnam Air Services Company) as well as the country’s political, economic, cultural, and tourism events.

Twenty-five percent of the Vietnam Airlines Group’s passengers this year flew on the Hanoi-HCM City route.

The Group provides some 104,000 seats on the route, transporting 92,000 passengers each week, accounting for 98 percent of the figures recorded at the same time last year and 57 percent of the aviation market.

New services launched

Noting the strategic role the route plays, Vietnam Airlines has worked to improve products and services to provide the most comfortable experience to passengers.

It has developed its wide-body aircraft fleet by adding 14 Airbus A350-900, 11 Boeing 787-9, and three Boeing 787-10 aircraft to serve the Hanoi-HCM City route and international flights to Europe and Australia.

A “dual brand” has been built between Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines to persify products and services.

“Their coordination contributes to maintaining the Vietnam Airlines Group’s market share at over 50 percent on the Hanoi-HCM City route, as well as in the domestic market,” a leader from the national flag carrier said.

An airplane of Vietnam Airlines (Photo: VNA)

The Group has recently upgraded the Hanoi-HCM City route into a specialised product called the VNAXPRESS - HCM City air route to bring exciting experiences to customers.

A representative from the Group said the service allows customers to buy tickets 60 minutes before flights instead of 180 minutes as usual. If they arrive at the airport early, they can be on board a flight with earlier departure time if there are vacant seats.

All flights on the route have boarding bridges while check-in counters are near the security gates to help passengers save time.

Passengers on Hanoi-HCM City flights will also have the opportunity to experience four-star quality services, including wireless streaming, WIFI, VNA-FPT Play entertainment, E-reader, and food such as Vietnamese cha ca (grilled fish) and ca kho (stewed fish), Russian salad, and cheese egg rolls, among others, served from 5am to 8am, 11am to 1pm, and 5.30pm to 10pm.

Excellent food is served on Vietnam Airlines flight. (Photo: VNA)

The Vietnam Airlines Corporation operates nearly 40 flights between Hanoi and HMC City each day to meet the increasing travel demand of customers. All flights depart on the hour from 6am to 9pm.

The national flag carrier has used wide-bodied aircraft on flights every second hour on the route, to ensure that passengers have the opportunity to experience the world’s most modern planes.