DEMAND for direct flight between key Philippine and Vietnam cities is growing rapidly, as more Filipinos seek jobs and business opportunities in Vietnam, while Vietnamese seek to visit famous tourist spots in the Philippines.
This, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines Ly Quoc Tuan, was a result of strategic partnerships between the two Asean nations.
“There is a growing demand for Philippines-Vietnam flights as more and more Filipinos fly to Vietnam for job and business opportunities and tourism,” he said during the inaugural of Philippines AirAsia’s Manila-Saigon route.
Vietnamese tourists, he added, are keen on coming to the Philippines.
“The need of travel is increasing —and AirAsia has a good supply for that demand for travel,” Tuan said.
Philippines AirAsia started flying thrice weekly out of Manila to Ho Chi Minh last Friday.
“It’s about time that we did this route,” Philippines AirAsia CEO Dexter M. Comendador said in an interview. “We launched this flight not only because of the huge market, but also because of our group’s commitment to the Asean.”
AirAsia, led by Malaysian tycoon Tony Fernandes, has committed to connect all 10 Asean nations through its subsidiaries.
Russian market
According to Comendador, Tuan advised him to also mount flights to secondary airports in Vietnam, specifically Da Nang and Na Thrang.
“I was invited by the ambassador to fly to Da Nang and Na Thrang, he mentioned that there are a lot of Russian tourists in the area—and I’ve been looking at Vladivostok for a long time,” he said.
Launching circular flights from Manila to Vladivostok via Na Thrang, according to Comendador, would help in increasing the presence of Russian tourists in the Philippines.
“I need to have a technical stop in South Korea—say, for refueling. Na Thrang has around 500,000 Russian tourists. Aside from that, I also need to at the air agreements between Vietnam and the Philippines,” Tuan added.
To do this, Comendador explained, Vietnam has to grant Philippine carriers fifth Freedom of the Air Rights, which refers to an airline’s right to carry traffic between two foreign countries on a flight that originates and terminates in one’s own country.
“Natural the growth path would involve flights to Hanoi, but the ambassador’s suggestion is good. Russians spend their winter in Vietnam, so why not us,” he said.