Locals in Fucheng Township are in for a treat as Vietjet Air launches its new route between Tainan and Ho Chi Minh City today

▲ Vietjet Air’s inaugural Tainan–Ho Chi Minh City flight took off today. (Photo courtesy of Vietjet Air; all following photos are from the same source)

By Chen Rui-zhong / Staff writer

Vietjet Air officially launched its direct flights between Tainan and Ho Chi Minh City today, making it the airline’s first destination in southern Taiwan and the first low-cost carrier to operate the Tainan–Ho Chi Minh City route.

At today’s inaugural ceremony, Tainan Mayor Lai Ching-te and Vietjet Air Vice President Nguyen Thi Thuy Binh attended the event together. The inaugural flight, VJ858, arrived in Taiwan at 3:00 PM today, and Tainan Airport welcomed the arriving plane with a traditional water-sprinkling ceremony.

▲ Tainan Mayor Lai Ching-te also attended the inaugural ceremony.

According to statistics from the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation, the number of Vietnamese visitors to Taiwan in 2015 was approximately 146,000, marking a 23.5% increase compared to 2013. In addition, Vietnam’s tourism authority reported that 202,000 Taiwanese tourists visited Vietnam in 2015, up 15.2% from the previous year. Lai Ching-te stated that with the convenience of this new air route, he hopes to bring Tainan and Vietnam’s people closer together, fostering even stronger ties.

Vietjet Tainan–Ho Chi Minh City Route Information
Tainan–Ho Chi Minh City: Departs 16:00, Arrives 18:15
Ho Chi Minh City–Tainan: Departs 10:45, Arrives 15:00