Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Fresh lychee, which is in season now in northern Vietnam, has returned to in-flight meals on Vietnam Airlines after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fruit, grown in Bac Giang province, is being served to business class passengers on the national flag carrier ’s domestic and international routes from Hanoi from July 1-15. The move aims to introduce the specialty to both domestic and foreign passengers and expand cooperation with businesses and localities to promote Vietnamese agricultural products to the world. Since June 24, Vietnam Airlines has coordinated with Bac Giang province to promote lychee on e-commerce platform VNAMall. Phan The Tuan, Vice Chairman of the Bac Giang People’s Committee, underscored that the province is home to the country’s largest lychee-growing area of over 28,000 hectares. Bac Giang’s lychee was the first Vietnamese product to be granted PGIC in Japan and is eligible for … [Read more...] about Fresh lychee on national flag carrier’s in-flight menu
Carriers
Vietnamese airlines want domestic airfare caps raised, even removed, amid fuel cost hikes
Many Vietnamese airlines have proposed that the ceiling prices of domestic air tickets be further increased or removed as they have suffered heavy losses due to wildly soaring fuel costs. Even though air tickets have been rising, even higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, carriers argued that they have to make up for relentlessly rising fuel expenses. Round-trip airfares of economy class for the Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route are fluctuating around VND3-5 million (US$129-214) per ticket and those for business class are VND8-17 million ($343-729), an increase of 20-50 percent compared to periods with passenger shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Airfares to famous tourist destinations, such as Da Nang and Phu Quoc, have even changed hourly, and customers can hardly find cheap tickets even though for early morning or late-night flights. Many customers commented that many airlines might have taken unfair advantage of higher fuel prices, triggered by rising world oil … [Read more...] about Vietnamese airlines want domestic airfare caps raised, even removed, amid fuel cost hikes
Vietnamese man gets 9-month flight ban for smoking on plane
Vietnam’s aviation authorities have imposed a nine-month ban on a Vietnamese man after he failed to pay a fine for smoking on a domestic flight. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) said on Thursday that 72-year-old Le Quoc T., hailing from northern Ha Nam Province, has been banned from domestic and international flights for nine months. T. smoked on flight VJ 464, operated by low-cost carrier Vietjet Air, on which he occupied the 28D seat, from southern Can Tho City to Hanoi on June 5. The flight ban against T. will take effect from July 8 to the end of April 7, 2023. T. was escorted from the plane upon its arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in the Vietnamese capital city at 5:00 pm on June 5 before being handed over to the Northern Airports Authority (NAA), which then issued an administrative fine for him. Despite several reminders and warnings, he refused to pay the fine. Smoking cigarettes, even electronic ones, is banned on all inbound and outbound … [Read more...] about Vietnamese man gets 9-month flight ban for smoking on plane