Vietnam Airlines considering Russian planes
Vietnam Airlines Corporation (VAC), the national flag carrier, is considering Russian-made aircraft for domestic flights and flights to Russia.
Trinh Ngoc Thanh, Head of the Market Planning Division at VAC said that the corporation has sent staff to Russia to negotiate with aircrafts manufacturers and if a deal is reached Vietnam Airlines will buy 100-seat planes for domestic service.
Mr Thanh said that Russia once had a developed aircraft industry, but that it collapsed due to the economic crisis. The industry has recovered, however, and since 2004, Russian has been focusing on civil aviation. Test flights have been showing progress.
At the Dubai Air Show in November, the largest aviation exhibition in the Middle East, a Dubai-based aircraft leasing company ordered several RRJ aircraft, manufactured by Russian Sukhoi. This is the first order for 70-150-seat planes Sukhoi had received from a non-Russian client.
Regarding the opening of new flights to several destinations in Russia, Mr Thanh said that Vietnam Airlines is looking at several destinations, Novosibirsk and Saint Petersburg in particular. The new routes will take at least two or three years, managers say.
According to Vietnam Airlines, the carrier has made 25,112 safe flights so far this year, serving 3.32mil of passengers, fulfilling 51% of the yearly plan. The corporation had total turnover of VND8,302bil ($518.87mil) in the first six months of the year.
By Ha Yen - VietnamNet - July 7, 2006.
Aeroflot resumes twice-weekly flights to Hanoi
Russian airline Aeroflot this week resumed twice-weekly direct flights between Moscow and the Vietnamese capital Hanoi after a break of almost one year due to technical reasons, an airline spokesman said.
Boeing 767s now make the nine-hour flight from Russia on Monday mornings and Thursday evenings local time, and from Hanoi on Monday evenings and Friday afternoons, AFX news agency quoted an Aeroflot spokesman in Vietnam as saying.
A report by Tuoi Tre newspaper in May said a one-way ticket would cost US$660 while a one month duration return ticket would go for $900.
The Russian airline has a fleet of 83 aircraft and transported 6.8 million passengers in 2005, according to its website.
AFX / Thanh Nien - July 5, 2006.
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