Vietnam Airlines a Step Closer to Increasing Flights to Singapore and China

A Vietnam Airlines A350-900 in Seoul (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Ben Suskind)

[ News ]February 13, 2023 11:00 am ET

By Pete Ainsley

Vietnam Airlines and Singapore Airlines are on the way to providing a better service to their customers. The two Asian carriers have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore the codeshare arrangements to facilitate better connectivity between the two countries.

The pair have a long-standing partnership for over two decades and keep seeking opportunities to expand their cooperation since travel restrictions were lifted.

“Over many years, Singapore remains one of the most important markets for Vietnam Airlines. We hope to leverage our joint capabilities throughout many commercial fields of our business and therefore provide seamless experience to our valued customers,” Le Hong Ha, Chief Executive Officer of Vietnam Airlines said.

“These win-win arrangement will offer more options and greater value for our customers, support economic growth, and bolster initiatives that facilitate tourism activities,” Goh Choon Phong, Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Airline responded to the MOU.

Increasing flights to China

Meanwhile, Vietnam Airline will bolster its services by resuming flight services to China in the coming months. China hasn’t fully reopened its market to Vietnam at the moment.

The flag carrier will resume three-times-a-week services between Hanoi and Beijing in March. Meanwhile, it will ramp up its flight frequencies from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Guangzhou and Shanghai to four times a week. Also, Vietnam Airlines is going to relaunch the route from Da Nang to Guangzhou, Shanghai and Chengdu, and Hanoi to Chengdu in April with two weekly flights on each route.

The flag carrier plans to operate Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Dreamliners on specific routes to China starting in September.

China reopened its border in January. However, Vietnam hasn’t made a fortune from the policies thus far as China hasn’t approved Vietnam sightseeing tours.

Earlier, China has allowed its travel agencies to organize tours to 20 countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines. Thailand and Indonesia started rolling out the red carpet for tourists from China last week, but Vietnam is a different kettle of fish. The travel sectors in the country are looking forward to welcoming Chinese tourists at any time soon.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam is optimistic about the future, expecting a full recovery from the pandemic by the end of 2023. The country recorded strong growth in the domestic aviation market in the last year.

However, Covid-19 is the perfect storm for the airlines. After three years of the pandemic, Vietnam Airlines is at risk of delisting from securities trading. Under the regulations, a company in the red for three consecutive years could be delisted. By the end of 2022, the airline recorded a loss of $1.46 billion.