Vietnam Airlines, Hong Kong airport to increase flights, launch new air routes

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) will open new air routes and increase flights between Vietnam and Hong Kong, as the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday.

The signing ceremony took place within a meeting between Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang and Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, part of the latter’s official visit to Vietnam from July 31-August 2.

Vietnam Airlines and HKIA will also discuss strategic cooperation, tourism promotion, technology and experience sharing in order to boost passenger transfer, cargo delivery, and tourism and trade activities between Vietnam and Hong Kong.

Bilateral cooperation also includes efficient fuel consumption, waste reduction, use of renewable energy, and workforce training.

Vietnam Airlines started flying the Vietnam-Hong Kong route in November 1991 and has so far conducted over 46,000 flights with over 5.7 million passengers. At the moment, Vietnam Airlines operates seven two-way flights between Hanoi and Hong Kong per week.

At the meeting, Deputy PM Quang called on Hong Kong businesses to invest more in Vietnam and import more Vietnamese goods. He also urged Hong Kong authorities to further facilitate the Vietnamese community there, for instance by providing more scholarships and handling crimes.

In reply, John Lee Ka-chiu called on the two sides to continue their high-level delegation exchange and cooperate in financial activities, trade, digital economy, green economy, science-technology, and people-to-people exchange.

In the first seven months of 2024, Hong Kong’s investments in Vietnam rose 107% to $2.2 billion. As of July 2024, Hong Kong’s investment in the Southeast Asian country reached $36.67 billion, the fifth-largest figure among foreign investors in Vietnam.