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From early 2006, Vietnam Airlines
and American Airlines will begin code-sharing flights
on routes linking the two countries and to Japan and
Europe.
Under
an agreement signed by the two airlines in Washington
DC Monday,
the Vietnamese national flag carrier will
use its "VN" trademark on American Airlines
flights from the US to Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, Paris,
France and Frankfurt, Germany.
The
two airlines will also share codes on their flights
from the US to Hanoi
or Ho
Chi Minh City.
Similar
benefits will come to American Airlines to promote
its AA trademark
even
further in
Vietnam.
Vietnam
Airlines Representative in North America Mai Quoc Tuan
told Vietnam News Agency that the agreement, which enables
the VN to tap 25 destinations in the US, is an important
step on market survey and technical preparation for
his agency to launch direct flights between the two
countries soon.
Vietnam
Airlines set up its US respresentative office in December
2001 and has so far expanded its sales network across
the US. With the agreement, the airlines expects to
attract 5,000 more US passengers,
reaching 40,000 by 2006.
For
its part, American Airlines –
the
world’s
largest
airline –
considers
the deal with Vietnam Airlines as a good opportunity
to have a firm footstep in "one of the most important
Asian markets for civil aviation," said
to AA senior Vice President of Planning Henry Joiner.
American
Airlines is the first US airline to conduct joint operations
with Vietnam. |
