![At the ceremony marking the launch of the inaugural flight on Vietravel Airlines' Taipei-Phu Quoc route. (Photo: VNA)](https://imagev3-lang.vietnamplus.vn/w1000/Uploaded/2024/kg1/2024_08_02/vietravel-airlines-3510.jpg.webp)
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietravel Airlines has run its inaugural flight connecting Phu Quoc (Vietnam) with Taipei (Taiwan, China), marking a significant step in expanding its international network to major source markets this year.
Flight VU1183, carrying 210 passengers traveling for tourism and family visits, departed from the Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei and landed at the Phu Quoc International Airport on Phu Quoc island, off the coast of the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, on the evening of August 1.
CEO of Vietravel Airlines Nguyen Minh Hai said it represents a pivotal moment in the airline's growth journey, opening new collaboration opportunities with potential partners to broaden its market reach.
Hai noted the Taipei-Phu Quoc route is expected to increase tourist arrivals to Phu Quoc and boost local tourism development. The carrier is committed to providing high-quality, safe, and convenient air travel services on every flight.
Taiwan is one of the airline’s targeted markets for 2024. In September, it plans to launch new routes connecting the central coastal city of Da Nang and the central province of Thua Thien-Hue’s Hue city with Taiwan’s Taichung.
According to the General Statistics Office, Vietnam welcomed over 8.8 million foreign arrivals in the first half of 2024, a 58.4% increase compared to the same period last year and 4.1% higher than in 2019 – the year before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Republic of Korea remained the largest source market with 2.2 million visitors, followed by China with 1.8 million, and Taiwan (China) with 630,000./.