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Vietnam Airlines announced on Dec. 8 it had joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the world's biggest aviation body with more than 270 members.
"The membership helps boost the prestige of Vietnam Airlines and gives us more opportunities to establish business relations with other international airlines," spokesman Nguyen Chan said.
IATA membership brings Vietnam Airlines not only commercial benefits and image promotion, but also paves the way for Vietnam Airlines' future international expansion, the national flag carrier said in a statement.
According to Vietnam Airlines to become an IATA member, the airline had to earn an International Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate and pass a tough examination on safety operations by Aviation Quality Services (AQS).
Joining the Geneva-based IATA helps the airlines streamline ticketing passenger and cargo procedures and other activities.
Vietnam Airlines is one of the country's most profitable State-owned enterprises. It maintains direct air links with 24 destinations worldwide and offers code sharing flights to three other carriers.
In the first nine months of the year, the airline gained a turnover of 13 trillion VND (12 million USD) and carried 5.1 million passengers.
Members of IATA, established in 1945 in Havana, Cuba, now account for 94 percent of international airline transportation volume.
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