Passengers check in at the Đà Nẵng International airport. The city hosted the Routes Asia 2022 as an event in recovering international flight networks after the COVID-19. VNS Photo Công Thành

By Hoài Nam 

ĐÀ NẴNG — The central city hosted the Routes Asia 2022 forum yesterday, an event dedicated to accelerating the aviation industry's recovery across the Asia-Pacific region, attended by 500 delegates from 200 airlines, airports, and aviation services suppliers from 42 countries and territories all over the world.

Đinh Việt Thắng, Director of the Civil Aviation Administration of Việt Nam, pledged to create the most favourable conditions for flights to and from the country. 

Speaking at the event, Thắng said that Việt Nam fully reopening aviation operations has created opportunities to grow the country's aviation industry. 

Routes Asia 2022 will provide a platform for policy-makers from the region's airlines, airports, tourism authorities and aviation stakeholders to come together to develop network strategies and ensure future air service development across Asia-Pacific.

The chairman of Đà Nẵng’s People’s Committee, Lê Trung Chinh said: “Routes Asia 2022 is being held during a very special time when Việt Nam has just opened its borders to welcome the first international flights to return after two years of COVID-19.

“Being the destination of Routes Asia 2022, the most prestigious route development forum in Asia, will not only position Đà Nẵng as the destination for international events but also demonstrate our strong determination to restore the aviation network and the tourism industry. We hope that Đà Nẵng will provide a comfortable and efficient environment for business exchanges and connections between airline and tourism partners.”

Steven Small, Branch Director of Informa Routes stated: “We are proud that we have been able to bring together so many members of the Asia- Pacific aviation community, despite ongoing travel restrictions still being in place.

“This event provides us with a platform to exchange solutions to restore the route network, creating long-term economic benefits for the region."

Việt Nam's aviation – tourism industry is on the rebound with the resumption of domestic and international flights. Themes that are discussed at the opening ceremony include how the legacy impact of COVID-19 on consumer behaviour and travel trends, and the most effective strategies for rebuilding demand

The Routes Asia 2022 also hosted the booths at the Asia Aviation and Tourism Exhibition, business matching scheduled online in advance by Routes and a series of seminars and conferences on June 6-8.

As a coastal city and one of the three largest socio-economic hubs in Việt Nam, Đà Nẵng has been seen as a harmony of synchronously built infrastructure, along with a series of high-class resorts and a range of important conferences, festivals and sports events.

Routes Asia 2022 is expected to be a driving force for Đà Nẵng achieving the city’s targets in resuming the international flight network, offering favourable conditions for tourists, businesses and investors to be back to the city, and expanding connections with important aviation hubs from the US, Europe and the Middle East; while promoting new routes to potential markets in Southeast Asia, India and Oceania.

Aviation and tourism have been two key industries helping boost Đà Nẵng’s economic growth, and the expansion of international air routes will help the city recover strongly from the pandemic, director of the city’s tourism department Trương Thị Hồng Hạnh said.

The opening ceremony of the Routes Asia 2022 in Đà Nẵng. VNS Photo Lê Lâm

India will be one of the newest destinations linked with the central city in the post-COVID-19 recovery period, when low-cost airline Vietjet Air launches a New Delhi-Đà Nẵng route, with three flights per week in the fourth quarter this year.

Meanwhile IndiGo, one of the largest airlines in India, is seeking an expanded flight plan to Đà Nẵng after Hà Nội and HCM City.

In a working session with the city’s leadership, Rajat Kumar, vice chairman of aviation network planning of the IndiGo Airlines, expressed his desire of the plan in promoting air links between Việt Nam and India as well as tourism activities among destinations in India, Đà Nẵng, Hà Nội and HCM City.

Representatives of airlines, aviation services and travel agencies join a business matching event at the Routes Asia 2022 in Đà Nẵng. VNS Photo Lê Lâm

In 2019, Đà Nẵng opened its first direct flights with Doha, Qatar, and 160 destinations of Qatar Airways, with new flights connecting with South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan (China), India, Australia, and Russia have been planned.

By September 2022, nine airlines will have resumed regular flights on 10 air routes connecting the central city of Đà Nẵng with Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan and India.

Singapore Airlines and Thai VietJet are frontrunners in resuming their flights from Singapore and Bangkok to Đà Nẵng.

An exhibition on aviation opens at the Routes Asia 2022 in Đà Nẵng. The event gathers airlines, airport services and travel agencies. VNS Photo Lê Lâm

Đà Nẵng International Airport is designed to handle 28 million passengers and 200,000 tonnes of cargo by 2030.

The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air and Korean Jeju Air, Jin Air and Vietjet Air has included their flight plans for the Incheon-Đà Nẵng route, Narita and Haneda. — VNS