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The Vietnam News

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Budget carrier Tiger Airways wins right to fly to Vietnam

SINGAPORE : Singapore-based budget carrier Tiger Airways said Thursday it has won the right to fly to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and promised to offer fares up to 80 percent cheaper than current ones. Singapore's Air Traffic Rights Committee awarded the landing rights, the carrier said in a statement. The airline, 49-percent owned by Singapore Airlines, said it would offer fares up to 80 percent lower than the current levels of between 221-803 Singapore dollars (136-493 US) on other carriers. depending on cabin class. Last week Tiger Airways opened an office in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam's southern business hub.

"We are delighted by this good news. Landing rights to Vietnam signal the start of our second-phase network expansion to Southeast Asian destinations," said Tiger Airways chief executive Tony Davis. He said the company, whose planes already fly to Bangkok, will announce the date of the first flights to Vietnam soon. The airline also said it will start flying to the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai from February 18, adding to its services to Bangkok, Phuket and Hatyai. From February 4 the airline will offer a promotional fare of 9.98 Singapore dollars for a one-way ticket to Chiang Mai. Tiger Airways is in competition with an array of budget airlines in the region, including Singapore-based Valuair, Qantas-backed Jetstar Asia and Malaysia's AirAsia.

Agence France Presse - February 3, 2005


Singapore's Jetstar Asia gets Vietnam landing rights

SINGAPORE - Qantas Airways' Singapore-based budget airline, Jetstar Asia, has received landing rights to Hanoi in Vietnam, following on the heels of rival Tiger Airways, a source close to the company said Thursday. Jetstar Asia, which started offering flights from Singapore to Hong Kong, Taipei and Thailand's Pattaya in December last year, also expects to receive landing rights to Jakarta and Surabaya soon, and has also lodged papers to obtain rights for Kolkata in India, the source added.

Like Tiger, Jetstar Asia is yet to decide on when to start flights, the source added. Earlier, Singapore Airlines (S55.SG) affiliate Tiger Airways said it has obtained landing rights to two cities in Vietnam - Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City - and will offer fares at up 80% lower than existing rates.

By Abdul Hadhi - Dow Jones Newswires - February 3, 2005