The Philippine air carrier Cebu Pacific on Friday inaugurated flights to Vietnam to capitalize on the increasing air travel between the two countries, while several other carriers will also launch air service to Vietnam this week.

Cebu Pacific, which is the airline business unit of JG Summit Holdings Inc., flies Manila-Hanoi on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, with departure from Manila at 10:50 p.m. and arriving at the Noi Bai International Airport at 12:25 a.m. of the following day. The carrier's aircraft A319 leaves Hanoi at 1:10 a.m. and arrives in Manila at 4:45 a.m.

The airline operates Manila-HCMC flights every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, departing Manila at 10:50 p.m. and landing at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 12:15 a.m. of the following day. The departure and arrival schedules for the return flight are at 1:00 a.m. and 4:25 a.m. respectively.

The carrier's spokesperson Candice lyog said Cebu Pacific flied to Hanoi and HCMC because of their many attractive sites on offer. "We are sure that our new service and low fares to two of Vietnam's major does will further encourage local residents from both countries to see the rich cultures both countries have to offer."

The only Philippine airline operating direct service to Hanoi and the country's second carrier active in Vietnam after the Philippine Airlines offers the one-way fare to Hanoi and HCMC from 999 peso (some US$24), exclusive of taxes and surcharges.

The 13-year-old Cebu Pacific now flies to 14 international destinations and to 16 in mid-2008. The airline also operates flights to 21 domestic destinations.

More budget airlines follow up

Meanwhile, the Indonesian low-fare LionAir will resume the daily flight on April 18, about more than three years the carrier suspended its four weekly flights on the route due to low seating capacity and its plan to restructure organization at that time.

During its comeback this time, the air carrier is promoting fares from US$9 for the HCMC-Singapore trip and from US$59 for the HCMC-Singapore-Jakarta service.

Things have changed in a time when Vietnam is emerging as a destination for leisure and business travelers.

"Tourists are our major passengers," the carrier's senior manager of sales and marketing Chandran Rama Muthy said. He furthered customers also included business people and those wanting to visit their families and friends as well as students.

To mark its comeback, the Jakarta-based carrier will operate a brand-new Boeing 737-900ER and serve free drinks and meals, which guests have to pay when flying with other low-fare airlines active in Vietnam.

LionAir will also allow passengers a check-in baggage allowance of up to 25 kg lure those passengers who want to travel to Indonesia, Singapore and HCMC for shopping spree.

Meanwhile, AirAsia of Malaysia, in addition to low fares, tempts passengers to its wide regional network that links Vietnam with Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, China and Indonesia.

AirAsia has set April 15 for its service between Malaysia's city of Kuala Lumpur and HCMC, more than 10 days the Bangkok-based member of AirAsia Group, Thai AirAsia, launched weekly Bangkok-HCMC service.

Thai AirAsia's chief executive officer Tassapon BijIeveld said the carrier commenced the service because of growing tourism in Thailand and Vietnam.

"We believe that our low fares will enable more of our valued guests to experience the variety of sights and flavors both cities offer."

Thai AirAsia started to operate daily flights to Hanoi in 2005 and now operates three daily flights between Bangkok and Hanoi. AirAsia now flies two times daily between Kuala Lumpur and Hanoi, more than one year it opened this route.

HCMC is also a top choice for many foreign airlines when considering the launch of their services to Vietnam as airliners said this was where more leisure and business travelers choose to enter Vietnam and the fact that the number of foreigners going through this gateway has increased over the past years, even in low seasons for tourism.

"That's why AirAsia always looks to launching flights to HCMC," Carmen Wong, head of AirAsia Group's marketing department, told the Daily.

Rama Muth of LionAir said there was so much room for growth as HCMC had been connected more internationally. "The market is so huge," he told the Daily.

Meanwhile, tire carrier Pacific Airline's CEO Luong Hoai Nam said the Vietnamese low-cost carrier planned to operate its own flights to Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Cambodia's Siem Reap from September this year.

"Our targets are the destinations that do not require visas and are located within about two hours of flying as this is appropriate for low-cost carriers," Nam said.

More than 14mil passengers traveled on around 45 airlines to and from Vietnam last year, up nearly 20% on the year earlier period. The market is expected to grow 20% or higher this year when more foreign carriers are flying to this country.

Source : SGT