VN Airlines joins global airline alliance
VGP - The national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines (VA), on Wednesday signed an agreement on joining SkyTeam, a major step towards VA’s full membership to the world’s second largest aviation alliance.
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Vietnam Airlines is expected to be SkyTeam’s strategic partner – Illustration photo |
The signing ceremony in Hà Nội marked a milestone in Vietnam Airlines’ international cooperation and integration to become a large and prestigious carrier in region.
Dominique Patry, chairman of the SkyTeam Steering Committee and vice president of Air France, said that VA will help SkyTeam increase its existing air routes and open more destinations in Indochina. He added that SkyTeam expects VA to be a strategic partner and selected the carrier as its sole partner in Southeast Asia.
Phạm Ngọc Minh, VA General Director, said that the signing of an agreement to join SkyTeam kick-starts a preparatory process for the firm’s full accession to the global aviation alliance by 2010. This indicates that VA is a big corporation in the region and a reliable partner of SkyTeam to compete with other global alliances. Through such cooperation, VA’s passengers will be able to use the most convenient services of international standards.
VA has, over the years, maintained steady growth, confirming its position and role as a national flag carrier in boosting local economic, cultural and social development as well as promoting investment, tourism and economic cooperation between Việt Nam and the rest of the world.
VA is running a fleet of 50 modern aircrafts, including Boeing 777 and Airbus 330/321/320. It transported nearly 9 million passengers last year.
By Ngọc Vân
