Following the slump during the COVID-19 pandemic, the global aviation industry is looking to explore a new market section. At the top of the global airlines’ list is India, thanks to its lucrative market with a growing population that can afford foreign travel. Now, two of Vietnam’s biggest carriers VietJet Air and Vietnam Airlines are competing for increased flights between the two countries. While the privately owned VietJet Air made its move by planning five Indian destinations from four Vietnamese cities, the flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has responded by increasing its flight services to India by 30 per cent, starting March 26. The flag carrier currently runs five flights a week between the two countries, which will soon be increased to daily flights to New Delhi.
Vietnam Airlines, which resumed operations in India in June last year after the pandemic, currently provides three weekly flights from Hanoi and two from Ho Chi Minh to New Delhi. The airline is increasing its flight schedule, adding one daily trip to Delhi from Hanoi, four times weekly and one from Ho Chi Minh, three times weekly.
Vietnam Airlines will now operate the same number of flights to Delhi as low-cost carrier VietJet Air as a result of the adjustment. Moreover, the low-cost airline operates flights on reversed frequencies—three from Hanoi and four from Ho Chi Minh City.
To mark the flight resumptions, Vietnam Airlines has introduced special roundtrip economy class rates starting at VND7 million or Rs 24,366 including taxes and fees when departing from Vietnam.
In a similar vein, travellers using the new routes from India to Vietnam would see lower rates starting at Rs 23,950.
Both the Hanoi-Delhi and HCMC-Delhi routes will use Vietnam Airlines’ Airbus A321 aircraft on the roster. These aircraft have 168 regular economy class seats in a 3-3 layout and 16 business class reclining seats spread across a 2-2 configuration. The five-hour trip from Vietnam to the Indian capital leaves between 6 and 7 PM and arrives at Delhi around 10 PM. Before midnight, the returns depart from Delhi and touch down back in Vietnam between 6 and 7 AM the following morning. Vietnam Airlines also plans to start flights between Ho Chi Minh City to Mumbai sometime later this year.
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