Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and ministry representatives cut the ribbon to celebrate the first Boeing 787 flight at the Cát Bi International Airport. — Photo VNA |
HÀ NỘI — The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner of the national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines, flew between HCM City and northern Hải Phòng City to celebrate the inauguration of Cát Bi international Airport on May 12.
The flights were witnessed by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and by ministry representatives, Hải Phòng City and agencies.
General Director of Vietnam Airlines (VNA) Phạm Ngọc Minh said the flights were a gift to celebrate Cát Bi Airport and Hải Phòng.
Minh said using the Boeing 787 at Cát Bi Airport demonstrated VNA’s commitment to work with domestic airports to develop domestic and international flight networks, improve service quality, and meet passenger demand.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights are a good use of Cát Bi Airport, which is designed for Vietnam Airlines’s modern aircraft.
Vietnam Airlines has utilized air routes to and from Hải Phòng since the 1990s. This has helped Hải Phòng and Hà Nội to become entrepots for travellers and goods in the country’s northern region.
The airline will continue coordinating with relevant agencies to evaluate increasing passenger demand for more flights to and from Hải Phòng, especially international routes. It also plans to use the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus 350-900 XWB to better meet increasing demand.
Vietnam Airlines and budget airline Jetstar Pacific operate about 100 flights per week on five routes to Cát Bi Airport, including between Hải Phòng and HCM City, and Đà Nẵng and Buôn Mê Thuột. The cooperation between the two airlines is part of the firms’ strategic plan for developing the double brand, VNA-JPA, to serve passengers in the northern region.
There are three domestic airlines operating at the airport, including Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific and Vietjet Air.
According to Hải Phòng’s People’s Committee, there are four return flights per week between Hải Phòng and Phú Quốc. There are also three return flights between Hải Phòng and Đà Lạt. New international routes from Hải Phòng to China, South Korea, Japan and Thailand will open soon. — VNS