Deputy General Director of Vietnam Airlines Trịnh Ngọc Thành (front right) and Deputy Chairwoman of Đà Nẵng City's People's Committee Ngô Thị Kim Yến sign the co-operation agreement in 2023-27. — Photo courtesy of Trần Lê Lâm

ĐÀ NẴNG — The national carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA) will resume a direct flight between Đà Nẵng and Tokyo's Narita Airport with four flights per week starting from March 26 as part of the 2023-27 promotion and cooperation agreement with the central city.

VNA Deputy General Director Trịnh Ngọc Thành stressed at the official signing ceremony on Friday that cooperation with the central city has been positively growing since the previous five-year deal in 2018-22.

Thành said VNA has operated seven out of eight domestic flights since the city began the post-COVID-19 economic recovery plan.

He said the airline also covers three of 16 international routes connecting Đà Nẵng and the global destinations.

VNA has resumed four flights, from Đà Nẵng to Bangkok, Thailand and daily Đà Nẵng-Incheon, Korea. At the same time, the Narita-Đà Nẵng route will begin in celebration of the city’s Liberation Day (March 29) and busy summer vacation trips.

Deputy Chairwoman of the city’s People’s Committee Ngô Thị Kim Yến said the prolonged strategic partnership proved a new period of better cooperation. The two sides will develop into more comprehensive strategic partners in 2023-27.

She said that the two partners agreed to promote investment, trade, tourism and destinations for both sides in the next five-year period, focusing on full post-COVID-19 economic recovery.

She said the agreement would help boost tourism in Đà Nẵng City via VNA’s flights from Đà Nẵng. In contrast, the city will promote VNA’s destinations of international and domestic air routes at tourism and cultural events.

According to the city’s tourism department, Đà Nẵng hosted 3.7 million tourists in 2022.

Đà Nẵng has 24 direct air routes, of which 16 are internationals, hosting an average of 100 and 112 flights per week.

The central city will be hosting series international events in 2023 including the Đà Nẵng International Fireworks Festival; the ASEAN Students Sports Games; and the Asia Films Festival.

VNA has recovered 60 per cent of flights since the two-year COVID-19 deadlock, and it plans to resume chartered flights between Đà Nẵng and China by the middle of April, according to Thành. — VNS