Jetstar Airways to launch direct flights to HCMC

Jetstar Airways to launch direct flights to HCMC

Jetstar Airways to launch direct flights to HCMC

Binh Nguyen

Budget airline Jetstar aircraft are seen at Singapore’s Changi Airport February 6, 2014. Jetstar Airways has said it will start direct flights connecting Australia’s two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, with Vietnam’s HCMC in May – PHOTO: REUTERS

HCMC – Jetstar Airways has said it will start direct flights connecting Australia’s two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, with Vietnam’s HCMC in May this year to meet strong demand for air travel between the two countries.

Jetstar Airways will launch flights from HCMC to Melbourne on May 10, and those to Sydney on May 11. But prior regulatory approval is required.

The airline said in a statement that the new routes would make Jetstar the only low cost carrier to operate direct services between the countries.

Jayne Hrdlicka, chief executive officer of Jetstar Group, said in the statement Vietnam has been a source of consistent growth to Australia’s tourism in the past and that the increase will continue.

“Indeed in the last 12 months, there had been a 21% increase in visitors from Vietnam to Australia, and with our new service, we aim to be an impetus for even more growth on the route,” Hrdlicka said.

Vietnam has seen a surge in outbound travel in the past year. A recent survey of MasterCard showed a 15% year-on-year rise in outbound travel from the ASEAN country, making the Vietnamese Asia’s second-most prolific travelers.

According to the General Statistics Office, more than 44,140 Australians visited Vietnam in January, up 64.4% month-on-month and 4% year-on-year. In 2016, Vietnam welcomed over 320,670 travelers from Australia, increasing 5.6% over 2015.

Jetstar expected the new direct Australia-HCMC connection would drive up visitation to the continent.

Ties between Australia and Vietnam have expanded in multiple fields, with over 31,000 Vietnamese nationals presently studying in Australia, and a domestic Vietnamese population of over 220,000.

“Australia already features prominently in the top 10 source markets for Vietnamese tourism, with Aussies drawn by the nation’s cuisine and rich cultural heritage. Offering an affordable means for more Australians to explore all that Vietnam has to offer is a tremendous opportunity for Vietnam to grow its tourist trade,” Hrdlicka said.

With the flights to HCMC in May, Jetstar Airways will become the only low cost carrier to fly direct to Australia, with four weekly services to Sydney and three weekly services to Melbourne using Boeing 787 Dreamliner jetliners.

Jetstar said from HCMC, travellers can fly to 15 other destinations within Vietnam on budget carrier Jetstar Pacific, which offers the same low fares that Jetstar can sell.

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