Ho Chi Minh City gains airline links

Airlines from eastern Europe will operate flights to Ho Chi Minh City during this winter schedule starting 30 October.

Aeroflot will resume flights to Ho Chi Minh City after 10 years using a Boeing767-300ER. The Moscow-Ho Chi Minh City service will operate twice weekly on Wednesday and Sunday returning Monday and Thursday from the southern Vietnamese city.

Aerosvit from Ukraine has also announced it will operate a twice-weekly service between Kiev and Ho Chi Minh City starting 21 December with departures from Kiev on Wednesday and Saturday and the return flights departing Monday and Friday. The airline will use a B767-300ER.

Vladivostok Air has announced a Vladivostok-Ho Chi Minh City service from 15 November. The flights to Ho Chi Minh City will replace the flights to Cam Ranh because Cam Ranh airport cannot handle A330 aircraft. Cam Ranh is 290 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. The airport serves traffic to Nha Trang.

Vietnam has already awarded visa exemption to citizens from 56 countries including Russia and Ukraine. In 2010, the country received around 51,000 Russian tourists and aims to increase to 150,000 visits by 2015. Beaches in the central coastal area are the prime destinations.

In Asia, Royal Brunei Airlines said it was suspending its Ho Chi Minh service along with services to Auckland, Brisbane and Perth due to financial setbacks and poor management.

Source - ttrweekly