Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a project to develop direct air routes between Viet Nam and key countries and regions across the world, aiming to promote investment, cultural exchange and international integration.

An aircraft takes off from Tan Son Nhat international airport, Ho Chi Minh City (Source: VNA)

The project aims to develop an international air route network connecting Viet Nam and countries and areas such as the US, China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Russia, Germany, Australia, France, the UK and India, as well as potential markets like the United Arab Emirates and South Africa, which will be run by both domestic and foreign airlines.

It will also focus on how to link aviation activities and tourism development, towards attracting more foreign visitors to Viet Nam.

The project is hoped to make it easy for foreign airlines to increase the frequency of flights from international airports to those of Viet Nam.

Regarding Viet Nam’s airline development with China, the Ministry of Transport will work with Chinese authorities in charge of airline affairs to remove difficulties facing Vietnamese airlines in running routes to China.

By 2020, Vietnamese carriers will open new routes from several economic hubs and tourism cities of Viet Nam to Chinese localities.

Viet Nam and Russia will also consider signing more agreements to expand air routes connecting the two countries and routes from Viet Nam to third countries through Russian airports.

New air routes will be opened to connect Viet Nam and Russia’s Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok cities, while the number of flights from Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City to Moscow will be increased.

Viet Nam will also develop direct air routes to the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles of the US in 2018.

(Source: VNA)