Airlines, railways and buses add transport capacity for holidays

HCM City (VNA) - Airlines, railway and bus stations will increase transport capacity to meet travel demand during the Reunification Day and Labour Day holidays from April 27 to May 2.

Airlines expect nearly 1.9 million passengers to fly between April 26 and May 5, with a total of 8,700 flights on international and domestic routes, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.

To meet demand, Vietnam Airlines will have an additional 78,000 seats on international and domestic routes during the period.

Of that figure, more than 53,000 seats on domestic flights will be added, with most of flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to tourist destinations in Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Can Tho and Hai Phong.

International flights from Vietnam to Japan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Cambodia will add more than 25,000 seats during the period.

Vietjet Air and Pacific Airlines will provide 860,000 seats and 200,000 seats on international and domestic routes, respectively, during the period.

An additional 130 trains between the North and the South will be added between April 25 and May 5, according to Vietnam Railways.

The Saigon Railway Transport Joint Stock Company will add 87 trains with nearly 43,500 seats from HCM City to Phan Thiet, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Quang Ngai and Hanoi and from Nha Trang to Thua Thien- Hue.

The company expects that the number of commuters will increase by 10 percent compared to the holiday period last year.

The Mien Dong (Eastern) Bus Station in HCM City said it planned to provide 1,600-1,750 bus trips to serve travel demand during the holidays.

The busiest day will be on April 28, with nearly 48,000 commuters. The station will arrange 56,000 seats to meet demand on this day, said Nguyen Hoang Huy, deputy director of the Mien Dong (Eastern) Bus Station.

Bus fares will rise by about 40 percent compared to normal days, Huy said.

The Mien Tay (Western) Bus Station expects to serve 62,000-65,000 passengers a day during the holidays.

FUTA Bus Lines will add 500-600 buses during the holidays, with bus fares on April 27-28 at 20 percent higher than normal days.

According to the HCM City’s Department of Transport, the number of waterway commuters will also increase. The water bus route No.1 from District 1 to Thu Duc district is expected to serve the double number of commuters during the holidays.

The number of commuters travelling by hydrofoil operating between HCM City and the beach city of Vung Tau is expected rise by 30 percent compared to last year.-VNA