Lao to open direct flights to Vietnam provinces
Lao to open direct flights to Vietnam provinces
Direct flights between Vientiane and Vinh city, Nghe-An province, Vietnam will start next month to promote tourism and cooperation between the two countries.
The first flight on the route will be on January 12 using an ATR-72 aircraft and the frequency of service will be four flights a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, Vietnam Airlines Northern Region Branch Deputy Director, Ms Le Kim Anh said at a meeting on Friday to announce the new service.
The meeting was attended by officials from relevant sectors of Vietnam Airlines, Nghe-An Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, representatives from Lao Airlines and the ministries of Information, Culture and Tourism and Public Works and Transport.
The growing political, economic, cultural and educational cooperation between Laos and Vietnam recently has boosted the demand for travel and transportation between the two countries in general, particularly between the Northern Central Region of Vietnam and Vientiane, said Ms Anh.
According to official statistics from Nghe-An province, the estimated number of passengers who travelled by road between Laos and Nghe-An, Ha Tinh and Thanh Hoa provinces via the Nam Can, Cau Treo and Na Meo border checkpoints in 2013 is only 183,000.
However, the number of passengers who travelled by air from Northern Central Vietnam to Laos was limited due to the non-availability of direct flights and the long transit time, she explained.
“To satisfy such a growing demand, Vietnam Airlines has decided to operate this third route,” Ms Kim Anh said.
The direct flight from Vinh to Vientiane takes only 1 hour and 10 minutes which will facilitate tourist and business travel as well as encouraging family visits between Laos and northern central Vietnam.
This in turn will also create favourable conditions for future cooperation and exchanges between the two countries and this tourism promotion will also be of benefit to Thailand.
This is the third service to Vietnam following the established Hanoi and Ho Chin Minh flights.
At the meeting attendees watched a video presentation about the tourism potential and resources of Nghe-An which are known to be very attractive to visitors.
vientiane times
