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At Phu Cat Airport. Photo N.T |
Vietnam Airlines (VNA) has decided to open a HCMC-Quy Nhon-Ha Noi direct route, which will begin before the lunar New Year Tet holiday with three flights a week. This is expected to be a new opportunity for Binh Dinh to strengthen its socio-economic development.
For mutual benefits
Binh Dinh’s economy has considerably grown in the past few years. There are now 3,000 domestic and foreign enterprises operating in Binh Dinh. After the establishment of Nhon Hoi Economic Zone, more and more investors have been concerned of its investment environment.
Also, Binh Dinh certainly has the potential for the tourism development, let alone a large number of local people who often go to Ha Noi for business and those who come from neighboring provinces, such as Phu Yen, Gia Lai, and Kon Tum.
To meet the demand, Binh Dinh Provincial People’s Committee has many times requested VNA to open a direct route from Quy Nhon to Ha Noi and vice versa.
Representatives of central provinces of Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Gia Lai, and Kon Tum and VNA signed an agreement for a HCMC-Quy Nhon-Ha Noi direct route on December 21.
Under the agreement, the route will begin before the Lunar New Year Tet holiday with three flights a week.
VND general director Pham Ngoc Minh said VNA is ready to reopen the Ha Noi-Quy Nhon direct route before the Lunar New Year 2009. They realized the potential of the route and decided to carry out the project. VNA will maintain its operation stably, he added.
New opportunity for Binh Dinh
The opening of Ha Noi-Quy Nhon direct route is expected to meet the ever-increasing demand for travelling to Binh Dinh. It will also contribute to the socio-economic development in Binh Dinh, central region, and Central Highlands, said Chairman of Binh Dinh Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Thien.
Binh Dinh will create the most favorable conditions for VNA to effectively operate the route, he added.
The lack of the direct route from Ha Noi to Quy Nhon has badly affected Binh Dinh’s investment promotion, to some extent, said Binh Dinh Investment Promotion Center Director Nguyen Thanh Hai.
Many investors have agreed with Binh Dinh’s investment policies, but they faced difficulties when investing in Binh Dinh because there was no direct flight route from Binh Dinh to Ha Noi.
Businesses in Binh Dinh also found difficult in the trade promotion and partner seeking. The opening of the direct route is, therefore, expected to be a new opportunity for Binh Dinh’s economic development.
The route will not only meet Binh Dinh’s demand for the socio-economic development but the neighboring provinces’ demand for travelling. “Sometimes we must fly to Ha Noi in emergency cases, but there was no direct route, we had to go to Nha Trang instead,” Permanent Vice Chairwoman of Phu Yen Province People’s Committee. After the Ha Noi-Quy Nhon direct route is opened, Phu Yen will also be more convenient to travel to Ha Noi.”
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