Vietnam Airlines' 30-year journey affirms its position on Korean routes

Since opening the first direct flight connecting Vietnam - Korea with the Ho Chi Minh City - Seoul route in 1994, over the past 30 years, Vietnam Airlines has been a bridge of friendship, connecting trade and investment between the two countries.

Vietnam Airlines is currently the most popular airline on flights between Vietnam and Korea.

Important market Vietnam Airlines Corporation - JSC (Vietnam Airlines) started operating the round-trip route Ho Chi Minh City - Seoul (Korea) very early (in 1994), at the same time as connecting routes to China and Japan. Not only was it expected to bring commercial success to Vietnam Airlines, the direct route Ho Chi Minh City - Seoul also had the task of opening a convenient aviation bridge for exchanges between the people of the two countries, in which many Korean businessmen and investors were rushing to Vietnam to seek investment and business opportunities. Despite many difficulties, the leaders of the aviation industry and Vietnam Airlines had created the best conditions for the direct route Seoul - Ho Chi Minh City, including prioritizing operations with Boeing 767 aircraft - the largest and most modern aircraft of the national airline at that time. Vietnam Airlines will make more efforts to be worthy of its role as an important aviation bridge, supporting the promotion of the friendly relations between Vietnam and Korea to become better and better," the leader of Vietnam Airlines pledged. In fact, this is truly a strategic decision. The correctness of this decision has been proven through the "sweet fruits" that Vietnam Airlines has received from this direct flight. Specifically, from 1994 to present, Vietnam Airlines' routes connecting Vietnam - Korea, successfully opened with the Ho Chi Minh City - Seoul route, have operated more than 60,000 flights, transporting nearly 15 million passengers. The growth rate of Korean routes in the period 1994 - 2019 reached 26%/year, becoming one of the fastest growing international markets of Vietnam Airlines. From having only one route Ho Chi Minh City - Seoul, after 30 years, Vietnam Airlines has opened more 5 routes connecting Seoul, Busan (Korea) with Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Cam Ranh (Khanh Hoa), Da Nang, most of which are operated by modern wide-body aircraft such as Boeing 787 Dreamliner or Airbus A350. As of June 2024, all 6 routes connecting Vietnam - Korea operated by Vietnam Airlines are operated daily with a total of 84 flights per week, to create the most favorable conditions for passengers traveling between the two countries; at the same time, demonstrating the prestige and position of Vietnam Airlines alongside other international airlines in this key market. Not only bringing commercial benefits to the operating unit, Vietnam Airlines' direct route to Korea is also a particularly important aviation bridge, contributing to deepening and strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Korea. In fact, over the past 30 years, Vietnam Airlines' direct route to Korea has effectively contributed to international economic integration, tourism development, investment and trade attraction between the two countries, bringing many benefits to the governments, businesses and people of the two countries. Friendship - investment bridge Although it has slowed down in a short time due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic and the market has a lot of competition, but with a modern fleet, 4-star international service quality, aiming for 5 stars and reasonable fees, Vietnam Airlines is the most popular airline on the routes between Vietnam and Korea. This helps the total number of passengers of the Korean market in 2023 of Vietnam Airlines to be 103% compared to 2019 - the time before the Covid-19 epidemic. According to a representative of Vietnam Airlines, the airline is researching to open new routes connecting localities between Vietnam and Korea, especially localities with tourism potential, and at the same time increase the frequency of operating routes according to the long-term development plan, based on market demand and the ability to provide flight permits from the authorities of the two countries. In addition, the airline will strengthen cooperation with partners and customers in Korea to develop products and diversify services, thereby continuously bringing outstanding benefits to passengers. Vietnam Airlines is cooperating with the two leading airlines in Korea, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, of which Korean Air is among the five flexible codeshare partners with the highest passenger transport cooperation results with Vietnam Airlines. Specifically, the total number of flexible codeshare passengers between the two airlines in 2023 and the first 4 months of 2024 reached over 16,500 and 3,500 passengers, respectively. In addition to flexible codeshare cooperation, Vietnam Airlines and Korean Air also cooperate in special segment sharing (SPA). The number of passengers transported under SPA in 2023 and the first 4 months of 2024 reached over 5,500 and 1,700 passengers, respectively. The fact that the two leading airlines in Vietnam and Korea always maintain Maintaining a close relationship and constantly seeking opportunities to expand and enhance cooperation not only brings efficiency to the two businesses, but also brings more choices to passengers. In particular, Vietnam Airlines will continue to focus on coordinating with agencies, departments, sectors, travel companies and Korean partners to promote tourism and promote destinations in Vietnam. This will be a practical contribution of the national airline in the context that the two countries' senior leaders have agreed to bring substantive cooperation in all fields to a new level, deeper and more effective, including the effective implementation of the Vietnam-Korea Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA) and practical measures to facilitate businesses of the two countries, to soon complete the goal of increasing bilateral trade turnover to 100 billion USD and towards the target of 150 billion USD by 2030 in a balanced and sustainable manner.

Bao Nhu

Source: https://baodautu.vn/hanh-trinh-30-nam-vietnam-airlines-khang-dinh-vi-the-tren-duong-bay-han-quoc-d218754.html