The Hanoi-Con Dao, Hai Phong-Con Dao, and Vinh-Con Dao routes will be opened on September 29
Vietnamese carrier Bamboo Airways will operate new air routes linking three Vietnamese localities with Con Dao, a popular tourist archipelago off the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, later this month.
The three new routes connecting Con Dao Islands with Hanoi, northern Hai Phong City, and the north-central province-level city of Vinh will be opened on September 29, Bamboo Airways announced at a press meeting on Wednesday.
The new-generation Embraer E 195 jets, each able to carry 124 passengers, will be operated along these routes.
Two flights will be operated per day along the Hanoi-Con Dao route, while one flight will be operational on a daily basis along the Hai Phong-Con Dao and Vinh-Con Dao itineraries.
The flight frequency can be increased depending on the actual demand, the airline said.
In 2019, Con Dao welcomed nearly 400 thousand tourists, up 37 percent compared to 2018.
However, Con Dao Airport has a 1,830-meter-long runway that is only suitable for the ATR72 aircraft — capable of carrying only up to 70 passengers — and similar-capacity planes.
The Vietnam Air Service Company (VASCO), a subsidiary of national carrier Vietnam Airlines, is the only airline that currently operates flights to Con Dao.
The carrier offers flights along two routes, namely Ho Chi Minh City-Con Dao and Can Tho-Con Dao.
According to Nguyen Manh Quan, deputy director of Bamboo Airways, the new routes will connect Con Dao with more localities in Vietnam to help boost local tourism and attract more investment into the islands.
The Embraer E 195 jets will be compatible with the runway at Con Dao Airport, Quan continued, adding that the planes can reach a maximum speed of 871km per hour.
A trip from Hanoi to Con Dao will take approximately two hours and ten minutes, he said, adding that a one-way trip along this route will cost from VND1.6 million (US$70).
Bamboo Airways is also planning to open more routes that link Con Dao with Ho Chi Minh City, central provinces, and the Central Highlands in the future.
