Vietnam Airlines flies new route

The national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines, today, January 13, launched its new direct flight route from Hanoi to Kansai in Japan.
The airline plans to operate five flights a week on an Airbus A321 with 168 economy-class seats and 16 business-class berths.
The new route will be serviced by flight No VN944, taking off from Ha Noi at 00:10 daily, excluding Tuesdays .and Fridays. Flight No VN945 will depart from Kansai on the same days at 11 am and arrive at 14:45 at Ha Noi's International airport, Noi Bai.
The carrier decided to bring the route into operation to meet the demand of customers as Japan Airlines stopped its Kansai-Ha Noi route yesterday.
According to Vietnam Airlines (VNA), it is an important step to expand its market in Japan.
Director of the airline's representative office in Japan, Nguyen Quoc Tuan, said Vietnam Airlines was determined to open the route with a desire to enhance commercial, investment and tourism activities between the two countries and Ha Noi-Kansai in particular, despite the difficulties of global aviation.
The route should encourage tourists to visit Ha Noi and other famous destinations including Ha Long Bay, central Da Nang Province and Nha Trang sea resort in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa; especially o« the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Ha Noi.
He said with an extensive flight network. Ha Noi hoped to become a hub for visitors heading to Cambodia and Laos.
With this launch, the total number of flights per week operated by the airline to Japan will increase to 31.
The flights will operate out of Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports to the Japanese cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka, as well as Kansai.
Statistics released from the carrier showed that it accounted for half of the total direct flights between Viet Nam and Japan in the first nine months of last year.