Vietnamese low-cost airline VietJet Air delays Taiwan launch to October

▲ Vietnamese low-cost airline VietJet Air. (Photo / from VietJet Air’s Facebook fan page)

Travel Center / Comprehensive report

The Civil Aeronautics Administration said on the 15th that Vietnamese low-cost airline VietJet Air, which had originally planned to launch flights between Taipei and Ho Chi Minh City in mid-June this year, will postpone its maiden flight until October. It was noted that VietJet Air's delay in starting flights to Taiwan is not related to the recent anti-Chinese riots in Vietnam. The main reason is that the June time slot was deemed unfavorable, with late departure times from Taipei, leading to the postponement to October.

According to the Taiwan-Vietnam air service agreement, Vietnam has only opened the airports of Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang. Currently, the routes are mainly operated by two Taiwanese airlines, China Airlines and EVA Air, while on the Vietnamese side, only Vietnam Airlines operates the route. Seat capacity on both sides has not been fully utilized. In early March, Vietnam’s civil aviation authority informed the Civil Aeronautics Administration that it had designated VietJet Air to join the Taiwan-Vietnam routes.