Number of passengers passing through Dien Bien airport increased

Vietjet Air has doubled the frequency of flights to Dien Bien.

In 2024, Dien Bien province will host the National Tourism Year - Dien Bien 2024, associated with the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory. This is a major event not only for Dien Bien province but also for the whole country and internationally. Therefore, the province has determined that the number of tourists will increase (expected to welcome 1.3 million tourists). In particular, the time when Dien Bien province organizes the opening ceremony of the National Tourism Year - Dien Bien and the Ban Flower Festival 2024; the highland cultural space... has attracted a large number of tourists to Dien Bien. It has been recorded that the number of tourists at Dien Bien Airport has increased dramatically in recent days. According to the airlines, most flights are full and tend to increase continuously in the coming days.

Many tourists from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City when coming to Dien Bien shared that at this time they have to book tickets a week in advance to get tickets.

Ms. Nguyen Huong Giang, a tourist from Hanoi, said: This year, Dien Bien is hosting the National Tourism Year, so my friends and I decided to travel to Dien Bien. Because of the short vacation, we chose to travel by plane, but booking tickets was difficult due to the large number of passengers, while the flight frequency was lower than other routes. Therefore, we had to book a week in advance to get tickets to travel together.

Passengers queue to check in at Dien Bien Airport.

Not as lucky as Ms. Giang, after many times of "waiting" to buy plane tickets but not being able to, Mr. Nguyen The Nhu's family had to travel by road to Dien Bien and could only book return flight tickets. According to Mr. Nhu, if you do not buy tickets in advance, it is very difficult to find a flight at this time. Because the family had an appointment in Dien Bien, they decided to take a bus instead of waiting to buy plane tickets. Although traveling by car takes a lot of time, it is also an opportunity to experience.

From December 2, 2023, when Dien Bien airport resumes operations after a period of investment and expansion, there will be an average of 10 flights per week to Dien Bien; of which, the Hanoi - Dien Bien route is operated by Vietnam Airlines with 7 flights/week (including all days of the week) and the Ho Chi Minh City - Dien Bien route is operated by Vietjet Air with a frequency of 3 flights/week (on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays). From March 1 this year, Vietjet Air continues to open the Hanoi - Dien Bien route with a frequency of 3 flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. However, in recent days, the number of visitors to Dien Bien has increased, the demand for air travel is high, and some flights are sold out.

In recent days, the number of passengers passing through Dien Bien airport has continuously increased.

According to statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in January and February, the number of visitors to Dien Bien reached 230,000, with tourism revenue of more than 400 billion VND. On March 16 alone, the opening ceremony of the National Tourism Year - Dien Bien and the Hoa Ban Festival 2024, the relic sites welcomed about 10,000 visitors, of which a large number traveled by air. To meet the travel needs of tourists and people, especially during the National Tourism Year and Hoa Ban Festival 2024, associated with the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu victory, from March 6, airlines have doubled the frequency of flights to Dien Bien. Vietnam Airlines is also the official transportation sponsor of the National Tourism Year - Dien Bien and Hoa Ban Festival 2024.

Currently, on average, about 1,000 visitors come to Dien Bien by air every day.

According to Ms. Lo Thi Yen, Director of Dien Bien Airport, Dien Bien province is currently holding activities of the National Tourism Year and the Ban Flower Festival, towards the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory, so the number of passengers coming and going from Dien Bien has increased sharply. Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet have increased the frequency of flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Dien Bien and vice versa. There are 3-5 flights per day, including 2-4 flights from Hanoi - Dien Bien - Hanoi and 1 flight from Ho Chi Minh City - Dien Bien - Ho Chi Minh City.

Since Dien Bien Airport was invested in expansion, ensuring the reception of large aircraft A321 and equivalent, the number of passengers has increased. Typically, the Hanoi - Dien Bien flight of Vietnam Airlines from the end of 2023 to now, the number of passengers has increased 2 - 3 times compared to the previous period. If we count all airlines, at the end of 2023, there were only nearly 500 passengers going to and from Dien Bien per day (including all routes), but currently the number of passengers going through Dien Bien Airport averages more than 1,000 passengers per day.

To best serve the travel needs and ensure the safety of passengers, Dien Bien Airport has developed and implemented a peak service plan, ensuring human resources and equipment for flights. The smooth coordination between Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air and Dien Bien Airport has contributed to stability and has been highly appreciated by passengers since the airport resumed operations.

Due to the high number of passengers, airlines recommend that people and tourists should be present early at the airport to check in for their flights.

Dien Bien National Tourism Year associated with the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory has 169 attractive programs and activities taking place throughout 2024. In addition to the unique festival activities, Dien Bien province also attracts tourists with historical sites and traditional cultural colors of 19 ethnic groups. By increasing flights to Dien Bien, it has affirmed the role of airlines accompanying the Government and localities in promoting the National Tourism Year - Dien Bien.

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