While many of the world’s airlines have had to cut routes and staff from their rosters over the past 18 months, budget airlines have been growing quicker than ever.
Indonesia AirAsia, an affiliate of budget airline AirAsia, isn’t bucking this trend by last week inaugurating its new route between Ho Chi Minh City and Indonesia’s Jakarta.
Tran Ngoc Thang, station manager of AirAsia in HCMC, told The Saigon Times Daily the airline’s maiden flight from Jakarta and its 180 passengers arrived in the southern hub on September 18.
Indonesia AirAsia, the first carrier to offer direct flights between the two ASEAN member countries, will use Airbus A321 aircraft, which carry up to 199 passengers for the four weekly fights.
The Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday flights will take about three hours and 15 minutes each.
Air tickets for the route are available at
www.airasia.com or AirAsia’s agents across the country.
Malaysia-based AirAsia and its Thai affiliate, Thai AirAsia, currently conduct 14 weekly flights between Malyasia’s Kuala Lumpur and HCMC and 11 weekly flights between Thailand’s Bangkok and HCMC.
They register an average seat occupancy rate about 75 to 85 percent for their flights to and from Vietnam. Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air of Indonesia also operate flights between HCMC and Jakarta via Singapore.