Emirates seeks to expand presence in Vietnam

Emirates, the flagship carrier of the UAE, has signed two separate memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet as part of the airline's efforts to expand its footprint in Vietnam.

The MoUs were signed on the sidelines of the Vietnam-UAE Business Forum in Dubai on Monday in the presence of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

The new agreement with Vietnam Airlines builds on their current interline agreement and potentially includes reciprocal loyalty benefits, cargo collaboration, and technical services.

The relationship between Emirates and Vietnam Airlines, which began in 1994, has helped connect customers to 22 domestic and 15 regional points in Vietnam Airline’s network, as well as 12 points in Emirates’ global network.

Meanwhile, the partnership with VietJet will enhance Emirates' connectivity to popular destinations in Vietjet’s domestic and regional network via Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang, while offering Vietjet customers increased access to Emirates' global network via its Dubai hub.

Emirates deputy president and chief commercial official Adnan Kazim said Vietnam is a market that “presents tremendous opportunities” to boost tourism and trade. “We look forward to growing our footprint in Vietnam and exploring more opportunities to widen the scope of our partnerships in the future,” he added.

Emirates’ agreements with two major Vietnamese carriers align with the two governments’ efforts to strengthen tourism, investment, and trade ties.

During PM Chinh’s official visit to the UAE, the two sides signed the Vietnam- UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the former’s first free-trade deal with an Arabian country in the Middle East.

The UAE is Vietnam’s largest export market in the Middle East-Africa. Bilateral trade reached $4.7 billion in 2023. In January-July, Vietnam’s exports to that market jumped 51% year-on-year to $3.37 billion, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

With the CEPA, the two countries target to soon lift the bilateral trade turnover of $10 billion.

As of September, the UAE had 42 investment projects worth a combined $74 million in Vietnam, ranking 52nd among 148 countries and territories investing in the country, according to Vietnamese government data.

During his visit, Chinh met with the UAE’s top businesses, who expressed eagerness to invest in the Southeast Asian country.

In May, Emirates unveiled a plan to add a second daily flight between Dubai and Ho Chi Minh City starting January 15, 2025, one month earlier than initially planned to meet increasing travel demand ahead of the Lunar New Year.

The airline offers daily service from Dubai International Airport to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, providing approximately 11,500 two-way seats weekly between the two countries.