Emirates Seeks To Grow Footprint In Vietnam

Emirates has signed two separate memoranda of understanding (MOU) with Vietnam Airlines and VietJet as part of efforts to expand its presence in Vietnam.

The MOU with Vietnam Airlines builds on a 30-year relationship that began in 1994, expanding beyond their current interline agreement to potentially include reciprocal loyalty benefits, cargo collaboration and technical services.

The partnership with VietJet will explore joint initiatives to encourage travel between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Southeast Asian country, enhancing connectivity to popular domestic and regional destinations via VietJet’s hubs in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang.

Emirates Deputy President and CCO Adnan Kazim says Vietnam is a market that “presents tremendous opportunities” to boost tourism. “We look forward to growing our footprint in Vietnam and exploring more opportunities to widen the scope of our partnerships in the future,” he adds.

The two agreements align with broader government efforts to strengthen tourism and trade ties, which include a recently signed UAE-Vietnam Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, Vietnam’s first free-trade deal with a Middle Eastern country. In the first half of 2024, trade between the two countries grew 43% year-over-year, reaching $3.2 billion.

Emirates currently operates the only nonstop passenger flights between the UAE and Vietnam, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data. The airline offers daily service from Dubai International Airport to both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, providing approximately 11,500 two-way seats weekly between the two countries.

A second daily flight to Ho Chi Minh City will commence on Jan. 15, 2025, to meet increasing travel demand ahead of the Lunar New Year.