Hanoi (VNA) – The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has exchanged a series of cooperation agreements with aviation, tourism, and commercial partners in the Philippines, aiming to enhance connectivity and promote travel, trade, and investment between the two countries.
The deal handover took place at the Vietnam – Philippines Business Forum in Manila on June 1 during Party General Secretary and State President To Lam's state visit to the archipelagic nation.
In the aviation sector, Vietnam Airlines and Philippine Airlines agreed to expand their codeshare partnership to enhance network connectivity and offer passengers more travel options between the two countries.
Under the agreement, in addition to existing codeshare services on routes linking Manila with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Airlines will place its VN code on Philippine Airlines-operated flights between Manila and Da Nang, as well as key routes connecting Manila with Bacolod, Cebu, and Davao.
Meanwhile, Philippine Airlines will place its PR code on Vietnam Airlines-operated services between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Manila. The cooperation will also be extended to some of the latter's major domestic routes in Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City – Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City – Da Nang, and Hanoi – Da Nang.
Le Hong Ha, President and CEO of Vietnam Airlines, said the expansion of cooperation comes at a meaningful time as Vietnam and the Philippines are celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
By strengthening air links between the two countries, the carrier hopes to contribute to people-to-people, tourism, trade, and investment ties while supporting broader cooperation priorities promoted by the two countries’ leaders in a new phase of their strategic partnership, he said.
For his part, Philippine Airlines President Richard Nuttall described Vietnam as an important and fast growing market for his carrier. He noted that the expanded partnership will offer passengers greater convenience, support tourism growth, create business opportunities, and enhance regional connectivity in Southeast Asia.
The Philippines is considered a promising market in Southeast Asia, with steadily growing demand for travel and trade. The new agreements are expected to stimulate two-way passenger traffic and provide travellers with broader access to destinations and services across the region and beyond.
From 1991 to April 2026, Vietnam Airlines operated more than 4,200 flights and carried over 430,000 passengers between the two countries. It currently operates 17 flights per week connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with Manila, as well as Hanoi with Cebu.
Under a memorandum of understanding signed between Vietnam Airlines and the Philippine Department of Tourism, the two sides will cooperate in tourism market development. Joint promotional campaigns, fam trips for media representatives and travel agencies, and the sharing of market information will also be implemented to boost bilateral tourism promotion.
Vietnam Airlines will also step up collaboration with Saigontourist Group and Trip.com in destination marketing, market expansion, and tourism product development for the Vietnamese and Philippine markets./.
