National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man attends the 30th anniversary ceremony of Vietnam Airlines' direct Vietnam-Japan flight route

Within the framework of the official visit to Japan, on the morning of December 6, in Tokyo, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his wife, along with a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly, attended the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam-Japan direct flight and the signing ceremony of cooperation between Vietnam Airlines and many provinces, cities and leading tourism partners of Japan.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his wife along with delegates perform a ceremony to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Vietnam-Japan direct flight route. (Photo: Doan Tan/VNA)

30-year journey connecting Vietnam and Japan

30 years ago, Vietnam Airlines officially operated the first regular flights to Japan, connecting the two major cities of Ho Chi Minh City and Osaka. The first direct flight route not only opened the aviation market of the two countries, but also served as an important bridge to promote economic, cultural and social exchanges between the two countries.

To date, Vietnam Airlines is operating 10 routes with an average of more than 122 flights per week, connecting Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and major cities in Japan including Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka. The airline also operates new generation wide-body aircraft Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 along with international 5-star experiences, imbued with Vietnamese cultural identity for passengers at every service touchpoint.

During its 30-year journey, Vietnam Airlines has operated nearly 100,000 flights, transporting approximately 16 million passengers to the "land of the rising sun".

Japan is always in the top 5 markets with the largest air capacity to Vietnam, and is also one of the international markets with the best growth rate for Vietnam's aviation industry with an average increase of more than 20% per year.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Xuan Sang expressed his pleasure at attending the 30th anniversary of Vietnam Airlines’ direct flight route between Vietnam and Japan; affirming that this is an important milestone in the development history of Vietnam Airlines, and at the same time a vivid demonstration of the good cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Japan.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Xuan Sang said: Investing in developing transport infrastructure is one of the important contents of the strategic breakthrough in infrastructure. Recently, with the attention of the Party and the State, transport infrastructure, including the airport system, has been gradually invested, developed and modernized.

However, the effective exploitation of transport infrastructure for freight and passenger transport is equally important. The Ministry of Transport is also focusing on directing the implementation of this content. Vietnam Airlines is one of the leading enterprises in effectively exploiting civil aviation infrastructure to develop flight routes as well as other aviation services.

The Ministry of Transport highly appreciated Vietnam Airlines for performing well in its role as an aviation bridge between Vietnam and Japan.

Over the past 30 years, Vietnam Airlines' absolutely safe flights to Japan have not only transported goods, passengers, and served travel needs, but also contributed to promoting economic cooperation between the two countries; not only developed tourism, but also contributed to enhancing cultural and artistic exchanges, enhancing understanding and connection between the people of the two countries; not only contributed to the development of Vietnam Airlines but also affirmed the effectiveness of investment capital from the State and other economic sectors in transport infrastructure, Deputy Minister Nguyen Xuan Sang affirmed.

The Deputy Minister also acknowledged and highly appreciated the close cooperation between Vietnam Airlines and Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) in improving service quality, developing the aircraft fleet and aviation human resources, contributing to affirming the position of Vietnam's aviation industry in the global aviation market.

The fact that Vietnam Airlines organized the 30th Anniversary Ceremony of the Vietnam-Japan direct flight on the occasion of the official visit to Japan of the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation led by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his wife is of special significance in the journey of developing and upgrading the bilateral relationship between the two countries to "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World", contributing to creating a solid foundation for the two countries to continue to cooperate effectively, for the common interests, for peace and prosperity in the region and the world.

Emphasizing the above important significance, Deputy Minister Nguyen Xuan Sang expressed his belief that the Vietnam-Japan relationship will certainly continue to develop further. In particular, aviation is one of the important connections. To complete this task, Vietnam Airlines needs to increase flight frequency, expand its flight network, continue to improve service quality, invest in a modern fleet, and at the same time promote cooperation with Japanese partners to better meet the growing demand of this important route.

On this occasion, the Ministry of Transport thanked the National Assembly for its recent important decisions on restructuring and increasing capital for Vietnam Airlines to resolve difficulties arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Transport requested Vietnam Airlines, based on the mechanisms and policies recently issued by the National Assembly, to proactively develop and implement a plan to effectively restructure production and business activities, restore and further develop its flight network, especially routes to Japan, Deputy Minister Nguyen Xuan Sang expressed.

Vietnam Airlines' strategic move

At the ceremony, Vietnam Airlines General Director Le Hong Ha said that the decision to open a flight route to Japan 30 years ago was considered a strategic move by Vietnam Airlines. Vietnam Airlines flights have become a bridge to help strengthen the friendly relationship between Vietnam and Japan, making it increasingly better and stronger.

“To continue developing routes to Japan, Vietnam Airlines will increase flight frequency, research and open new routes, focus on improving service quality and strengthen cooperation with Japanese partners. In the near future, we plan to resume the Da Nang-Osaka route in July 2025 with a frequency of 4 flights per week, while also researching to increase the frequency of flights from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City to Fukuoka and operate wide-body aircraft on the Hanoi-Nagoya route,” Mr. Le Hong Ha emphasized.

Vietnam Airlines' achievements today are primarily thanks to the wise leadership of the Party, State, National Assembly, and Government; the support from relevant organizations and agencies of the two countries; and the cooperation and trust of partners and customers.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his wife witnessed the exchange of cooperation minutes between Vietnamese and Japanese enterprises. (Photo: Doan Tan/VNA)

According to Mr. Le Hong Ha, as the national airline, Vietnam Airlines is committed to continuing its mission as the main aviation bridge between Vietnam and Japan, contributing to promoting economic and social development and strengthening the good relationship between the two countries.

Within the framework of the event, witnessed by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and high-ranking delegates of the two countries, Vietnam Airlines signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 3-way cooperation between Vietnam Airlines-SaigonTourist Group and MS Tourist Agent; between Vietnam Airlines-SaigonTourist Group-Japan Dream Tour Agent to strengthen the long-term partnership, jointly cooperate to develop and expand the aviation and tourism market between Vietnam and Japan.

The airline also signed a memorandum of understanding with the two largest agents in the Japanese market, JTB and HIS, to promote tourist attraction and promote sustainable tourism between the two countries.

As the national airline and with the desire to continue expanding and strengthening cooperation with Japan, Vietnam Airlines has connected with a series of provinces and cities. The airline is researching to expand its regular flight destinations and operate hundreds of charter flights connecting localities.

Since the establishment of official diplomatic relations in 1973, Vietnam-Japan relations have continuously developed in many fields. The two countries upgraded their relationship to "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World" in 2023, creating a solid foundation for extensive and effective cooperation.

In the international arena, Vietnam and Japan always coordinate closely at major forums such as ASEAN, APEC and the United Nations...

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Source: https://nhandan.vn/chu-tich-quoc-hoi-tran-thanh-man-du-le-ky-niem-30-nam-duong-bay-thang-viet-nam-nhat-ban-cua-vietnam-airlines-post848874.html