Hai Au Aviation Joint Stock Company has received two Cessna Grand Caravan EX seaplanes at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, which will be used for tourism services including chartered flights, the Saigon Times Daily reported.
Luong Hoai Nam, General Director of the carrier Hai Au, said his company will launch regulatory flights to gain approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) for commercial operation. Then, the carrier will organise an opening ceremony of tourism services by seaplanes on Hanoi-Ha Long Bay route from early next month.
These are the first two seaplanes in Vietnam, with the maximum speed of 300 kilometres per hour and the transport capacity of 12 passengers.
Tourists will have opportunities to enjoy beautiful views from the aircraft and capture memorable moments at an altitude of between 150 and 3,000 metres.
The carrier will offer three service packages including flights for transport on fixed routes, flights over bays and islands, and chartered flights. The flying time from Hanoi to Ha Long will be around 30 minutes.
The carrier will also provide services for individuals and organisations as well as customized flights for special customers and State agencies.
The respective fares of each scenic flight in 25 and 40 minutes are 5 million VND and 7 million VND. The one-way flight from Hanoi to Ha Long city costs 5.3 million VND (nearly 250 USD) a passenger.
After the third plane is shipped to Vietnam in December this year, the firm will expand its operations to south-central and southern regions with many trips between Ho Chi Minh City and tourism destinations in these regions, including Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Dalat, Con Dao, Phu Quoc and Can Tho.
Moreover, the company will develop its services in other local regions as well as neighbouring countries.
Besides sightseeing tours, the private airline Hai Au, with Thien Minh Group holding the majority stake and Focus Travel Group the rest, also provides other services like Air Taxi and customized flights.-VNA
