The region's second most punctual airline wants to expand its market share in Vietnam.

Japan Airlines (JAL) wants to exploit punctuality to increase market share in Vietnam, where customers increasingly prioritize travel experiences.

Japanese airline wants to expand market share in Vietnam - Photo: JAL

At the 30th anniversary celebration of the Ho Chi Minh City - Japan route held last weekend, Mr. Takahiro Miyagi, Managing Director of Japan Airlines' Regional Business Office in Vietnam, said that since the first international flight connecting Osaka (Japan) and Ho Chi Minh City on November 16, 1994, JAL has become a solid bridge promoting economic, cultural and tourism exchanges between the two countries.

In 2019, the airline achieved a record number of passengers, thanks to the expansion of its flight network and improved customer service, connecting to 199 destinations in 66 countries and territories. After being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, by 2023, Japan Airlines has achieved recovery and passenger growth of 135% compared to before the pandemic.

"The recovery in the Vietnamese market not only reflects the growing demand for international travel, but also underscores Japan Airlines' efforts to improve service quality, on-time performance and flight safety. More importantly, we are steadfast in our mission of building a bridge of friendship, opening the door to trade, cooperation and tourism between Vietnam and Japan," said Mr. Takahiro Miyagi.

Currently, JAL operates two flights/day from Ho Chi Minh City and one flight/day from Hanoi.

Cirium defines “on-time” as a plane arriving at the gate within 14 minutes and 59 seconds of its scheduled departure time, and departing within 15 minutes of its originally advertised departure time.

Japan Airlines is currently in the top two airline most punctual in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Cirium data.

In the Vietnamese market in the first 8 months of 2024, there were more than 461,000 Japanese tourists entering the country, equivalent to 79% compared to 2023. In October alone, there were about 55,902 Japanese visitors to Vietnam.

The recent devaluation of the yen has caused Japanese people to reduce their overseas travel, affecting the recovery of Japanese tourists to Vietnam. However, Japanese businesses believe that because Vietnam's prices are not high compared to other markets such as the US, Europe, etc., the number of tourists to Vietnam is not high. tourist Japan to Vietnam will not be significantly affected by this factor.

Statistics from the Vietnam National Tourism Administration show that Japan is still in the top 10 markets sending the largest number of tourists to Vietnam, but is behind tourists from many other countries such as China, Korea, etc.

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