Delta code shares for Viet Nam flights
HANOI — Delta Airlines became the third US carrier operating in Viet Nam on Tuesday following United Airlines and American Airlines.
On the same day, Delta appointed Eastsea Travel and Air Service Co as its general sales agent in Ha Noi and HCM City.
With code-share flights on Korean Air, Air France-KLM, China Airlines and other carriers, Delta will offer services on nearly 20 direct routes connecting the two biggest cities in Viet Nam with the US, Canada and Mexico.
Delta will also provide services to more than 100 destinations in the three above-mentioned nations and in South America.
The company’s presence in Viet Nam served as a significant milestone for its expansion in Asia and Southeast Asia in particular, said the carrier.
Pham Van Hien, CEO of the agent for Delta, said, "The airlines received the licence for operation in Viet Nam as of July this year."
Under the agreement reached between Delta and Eastsea Travel in July, the agent had already run trials for its ticket booking system and other operations for Delta, said Hien.
"Viet Nam is a promising market for the carrier and for others. At first, Delta just planned to launch code-share flights; it will continue to research the market and will likely begin direct flights in a couple of years," Hien added.
Delta is one of leading global carriers with a fleet of 440 airplanes and a passenger hit of over 100 million per annum.
At present, its total non-stop, direct and code-sharing flights have reached 841, to 162 countries across the world.
The carrier plans to make its presence official in China, the biggest market in Asia, with direct flights from Atlanta to Shanghai.
Vietjet - domestic carrier
In another move, Minister of Transport, Ho Nghia Dung, has just granted an operation licence to Vietjet Jointstock Aviation Co, the first private carrier of Viet Nam.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung had already approved the establishment of Vietjet. It has a legal capital of VND600 billion (US$37.5 million) and aims to operate within the country and abroad.
It is expected that Vietjet will officially launch its first flight in November 2008 with two Airbus 320 planes and three additional planes in the up-coming five years.
Vietnam News Agency - December 13, 2007.
|