HCMC – A delegation of the Committee of the Association of International Airlines in Vietnam on October 19 arrived in Phu Quoc, an island city off the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, to sound out opportunities to open international air routes to the city.
During the visit, 20 international airlines operating in Vietnam will study the network of flights to the city, the possibility of new air routes and the capacity of the Phu Quoc International Airport to handle large aircraft.
Speaking at a meeting with the city’s government on the same day, Philip Claud Odhiambo Ojuang, chairman of the committee, said Phu Quoc boasts many advantages to become an attractive destination for local and international visitors.
Ojuang expected the government to expand the visa waiver program to encourage international tourists to visit Phu Quoc. Besides, he highly valued the city’s plan to raise the capacity of flow management – the flow of passengers and cargo at the Phu Quoc International Airport.
Huynh Quang Hung, chairman of the municipal government, said that Phu Quoc Island’s sea-based tourism had bounced back strongly post Covid.
Some 80-90 flights pass through the airport a day, he said, adding that five international air routes connecting the city with Thailand, India, Malaysia and South Korea operate at a frequency of eight daily flights.
The Phu Quoc International Airport is among the top five airports in Vietnam with the highest number of passengers and the most effective performance, Hung said.
Phu Quoc City is set to expand the airport, including building a new runway, a terminal and aprons to meet the rising demand of tourists, the local media reported.
Between January and September, Kien Giang Province welcomed over 6.1 million tourists, including more than 26,150 international visitors, while revenue from tourism totaled VND7.7 trillion, skyrocketing 219% year-on-year. Phu Quoc alone saw over four million travelers, up 154% year-on-year, according to the Kien Giang Department of Tourism.
