The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has said that it will open direct flights to the U.S. in 2010 after three-year delay, Vietnam News Agency quoted an airline official as saying.
Despite the global economic crisis, Vietnam Airline is trying to launch the U.S. service as this remains the number-one aviation market for airlines said Deputy General Director Duong Tri Thanh.
He, however, added that, the U.S. is a difficult destination in which airlines are required to conform to many strict regulations related to aviation security and safety, personal information supply on all passengers.
“We are preparing marketing, planes as well as improving its service quality to meet the U.S. standards before entering the demanding market”, Thanh noted.
Last year, the U.S. offered Vietnam US$1.4 million to upgrade the country’s aviation safety and security procedures, according to the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi.
The national carrier has witnessed a fall in number of both passengers and cargo flights due to the worldwide economic slowdown, which is the same situation of other airlines all over the world.
So far this year, its number of international passengers dropped 5 per cent, and the airline has set a goal to transport just some 9.4 million passengers in this challenging year of 2009.
In 2008, Vietnam Airlines operated 67,200 safe flights with total passengers of nearly 9.4 million, and total cargo of 125,280 tons, up 10.6 per cent and 10 per cent respectively against previous year, gaining gross revenue of VND26.61 trillion (US$1.57 billion), up 31.32 per cent on year. (VNS)
Vietnamese
