Vietnam low-cost carrier Vietjet Air saw around 90 Vietnamese tourists boarding from Ho Chi Minh for its inaugural flight to Palau on Friday, September 20.
Vietjet Air’s Airbus 320 aircraft will now be taking the route twice a week with flights that are scheduled every Tuesday and Friday, hence cutting the previously 18-hour trip from Vietnam to Palau to only around four hours.
A short inaugural ceremony was also conducted at the Palau International Airport (PIA) on Friday that was attended by local officials to welcome Vietnamese visitors.
Vice President Raynold Oilouch, in his speech during the ceremony, lauded the Vietnamese airline company for bringing “high quality customers” to Palau and for opening up many opportunities for the country other than the areas of tourism.
Oilouch said that the airline could also help in the establishment of trades between two countries. He also encouraged the visitors to look for opportunities where they could invest in businesses in Palau.
Oilouch explained that establishing connections between the two countries through the airline is the result of their friendship which began on August 18, 2018.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese businessman Eric Nguyen, who was instrumental to bringing the airline in the country, also shared the prospect of Vietjet Air being able to direct European and American tourists to Palau given that Vietnam is also frequented by these group of tourists every year.
Nguyen also expressed optimism that Vietnamese tourists will be among the major visitors in the country in the future and that there will be more investments pouring in from Vietnam. (By Rhealyn C. Pojas)