A launch ceremony of new international flights from Da Nang to New Delhi and Mumbai, India took place at the International Terminal of the Da Nang International Airport on Tuesday afternoon. Also present at the event was Director General of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh, and Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairman Tran Phuoc Son.

Vice Chairman Tran Phuoc Son expresses his delight at the launch of new international flights between Da Nang and India as well as hopes for effective and successful operation of the new international routes. Photo: THU HA

In his remarks at the event, Vice Chairman Tran Phuoc Son highlighted huge efforts Da Nang have made to successfully host large international events and conduct marketing campaigns in European countries, South Korea, Singapore, India and Japan in a bid to restore international routes.

In the first nine months of 2022, Da Nang welcomed more than 2,100 international flights carrying more than 280,000 passengers in total. More international routes from Da Nang are expected to resume by late 2022.

Starting from Tuesday, October 18, Da Nang - Mumbai will fly 3 times per week while Da Nang- New Delhi  will operate 4 flights per week. The opening of the new international flights to India is of great significance for Da Nang to increase international tourist arrivals.

Da Nang, and Central Viet Nam as a whole, boasts huge tourism potential as its tourism products suit tastes of Indian tourists. Da Nang have been gradually known as the paradise for Indian tourists to travel as well as attractive wedding venue for Indian billionaires as the city is blessed with a very beautiful coastline and high-class resorts, plus attractive tourism products and services.

Viet Nam National Tourism Administration Director General Nguyen Trung Khanh stressed the need for Da Nang and other Vietnamese localties to give high priority to such activities as increasing destination marketing campaigns targeting Indian tourists, and welcoming famtrip and presstrip delegations from India in an attempt to effectively exploit international flights between Viet Nam and India. The importance should be attached to developing tourism products suitable to the taste of Indian tourists. Heed should be paid to boosting coordination between airlines, associations, businesses, ministries, and relevant agencies to develop tourism products and introduce Vietnamese destinations and its tourism products to Indian tourists.

From October 18, Viet Nam's private budget carrier Vietjet Air will operate two new international services to Da Nang from New Delhi and Mumbai, India. Welcome ceremonies for flights from Mumbai and New Delhi that landed in Da Nang from October 18 - 19 took place at the Da Nang International Airport in addition to street parades organised to promote the new international routes.

Flight VJ984 departed from Mumbai at 11:30pm on October 17 and landed in Da Nang at 6:10am on October 18 while flight VJ830 departed from New Delhi at 11:30pm on October 18 and landed in Da Nang at 5:40 a.m. on October 19. They are the first two international flights that marked an important milestone for the launch of international flights to Da Nang from India.

Using the Airbus A320, flights between Da Nang and Mumbai Lumpur will operate 3 times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while the budget carrier will operate 4 flights  per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays between Da Nang and New Delhi.

Vietjet will add new flights to Ahmedabad in December 2022 to bring more passengers from major Indian cites to Viet Nam.

Mr Nguyen Trung Khanh (right) presents flowers to congratulate passengers on the first flight from Da Nang to India. Photo: THU HA

Reporting by THU HA – translating by H.L