Celebrating 30 years of Vietnam Airlines

On April 9, 2024, in Beijing - China, Vietnam Airlines held a ceremony to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the flight route and welcome the 100,000th flight on the Vietnam - China route. National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue; Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang and senior leaders of the two countries attended the event.

Vietnam Airlines held a ceremony to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its flight route and welcome the 100,000th flight on the Vietnam-China route. National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue; Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang and senior leaders of the two countries attended the event. (Photo: VNA)

30 years ago, Vietnam Airlines officially launched its first regular flights to China, connecting Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi with Guangzhou. Since those first flights, Vietnam Airlines has continuously expanded its flight network to other destinations in China such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Kunming, etc., using modern Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Currently, the airline is operating flights connecting Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai with 33 round-trip flights per week.

In the three decades since entering the Chinese market, Vietnam Airlines has operated 100,000 flights, transporting nearly 12 million passengers and 166,000 tons of cargo. Notably, overcoming the difficulties of COVID-19, Vietnam Airlines was one of the first airlines to resume flights to China and actively maintained aviation and tourism promotion activities there after the pandemic was brought under control.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang highly appreciated the role and efforts of Vietnam Airlines over the past 30 years in becoming a bridge to promote relations between Vietnam and China.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang also emphasized that in the future, cooperation between Vietnam and China will continue to develop in many fields and aviation connectivity will play a particularly important role. The Deputy Prime Minister assigned the aviation industry to study and enhance exploitation and improve the quality of services on flights between the two countries; requested agencies, departments and sectors of the two countries to create favorable conditions for the aviation industry and airlines, including Vietnam Airlines, to successfully complete their tasks.

In 1950, Vietnam and China officially established diplomatic relations. After 74 years, the relationship between Vietnam and China has grown steadily, achieving many important, profound and comprehensive developments. On that basis, in 2008, the two countries announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. In the economic and trade field, China has been Vietnam's largest trading partner for many consecutive years, with import-export turnover reaching approximately 172 billion USD in 2023. Vietnam is China's largest trading partner in the ASEAN region and the 6th largest in the world.

In the field of tourism and aviation, China has always been an important market for the Vietnamese aviation industry. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the total aviation market capacity between the two countries in 2019 exceeded 3.1 million passengers. The number of Chinese tourists accounts for a high proportion, about 30% of the total number of international visitors to Vietnam and has a good spending level. In the opposite direction, Vietnamese tourists are also among the top foreign tourist markets to China.

At the ceremony, Mr. Dang Ngoc Hoa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietnam Airlines affirmed: “The decision to open a flight route to China 30 years ago had strategic commercial significance for Vietnam Airlines. At the same time, this is also an important bridge in trade, economic, political and cultural activities between the two countries and promoting Vietnamese values to the world. Over the years, Vietnam Airlines has made tireless efforts to develop the market and achieve the results we have today. We are committed to continuing to seek opportunities, increase frequency, open new routes, improve service quality, thereby promoting our role as a reliable aviation bridge between the two countries.”

Vietnam Airlines has been strengthening cooperation with partners and customers in China to develop products and diversify services. In particular, the airline coordinates with agencies, departments, sectors, travel companies and Chinese partners to promote tourism, advertise destinations of the two countries and offer attractive programs.

Also on April 9, Vietnam Airlines and China Southern Airlines signed a draft joint venture contract. After approval from relevant authorities, the two airlines will implement the joint venture and enhance coordination and cooperation on flights between Vietnam and China.

Through diversified products and convenient connecting flights, this cooperation will better serve the travel needs of people in the two countries. Vietnam Airlines and China Southern Airlines will also implement a synchronous coordination program, together providing many consistent services on the flights of the two airlines to enhance the passenger experience. At the same time, the cooperation also creates favorable conditions for the two airlines to increase exchanges and experiences in operations, improving the efficiency of production and business activities./.

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