PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (third from right) attends the launch of Vietjet's new flights in Thailand (Photo: VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended a ceremony on November 2 in Bangkokto launch commercially flights connecting Bangkok and Chiang Rai with UdonThani operated by the Thai subsidiary of Vietnam’s low-cost carrier Vietjet.
The PM is in Bangkokto attend the 35th ASEAN Summit and related meetings.
He was joined at thelaunch by Thai Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and representativesfrom the two Governments.
Addressing the event,Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh hailed Vietjet’soutstanding endeavours and achievements in both Vietnam and the region,particularly its successful joint venture in Thailand.
He said the airline’ssuccess has contributed to economic, trade, cultural and tourism exchangesbetween Vietnam and Thailand.
The Thai Deputy PM thanked Vietjet for its investment in Thailand and expressedhis belief that the new services will help enhance connectivity and cooperationbetween the two countries.
Flights between Bangkok and Udon Thani will start on November25, with one return flight daily. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday there willbe one more additional flight from Bangkok to Udon Thani.
TheChiang Rai-Udon Thani service will be launched on November 26 with three returnflights a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
Udon Thani is thetransport hub in northeast Thailand. It is also the region’s main economiccentre with big communities of foreigners including Vietnamese.
Vietjet’s subsidiary in Thailand - Thai Vietjet Air - iscurrently operating five domestic routes in Thailand and 17 internationalroutes between Thailand andVietnam, Taiwan (China) and China.
The same day, PM Phuc made his appearance at aceremony to announce the Bangkok (Thailand) - Da Nang (Vietnam) and Phuket(Thailand) – Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) routes operated by Vietnam’s nationalflag carrier Vietnam Airlines.
Vietnam Airlinesofficially started flights between Phuket and HCM City with five flights a weekon October 27. Meanwhile, it operates one daily flight between Bangkok andVietnam’s central coastal city of Da Nang.
With an average growth of more than 15 percent in the 2015-2018 period,Thailand is one of the major and stable markets of Vietnam Airlines. So farthis year, the carrier has transported more than 700,000 passengers between thetwo countries, up 6 percent compared to the figure of the entire 2018./.
