More budget air routes opened

11:35' 08/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – In April, a lot of new air routes from Vietnam to regional countries will be put into operation by budget airlines.
The earliest budget airline in Vietnam, Indonesia’s Lion Air, first launched the HCM City – Jakarta air route in December 2003 with four flights a week.
After three years of interruption for restructuring, the airline has decided to come back to Vietnam on April 18. Lion Air plans to open new air routes from HCM City to Singapore and Jakarta, using Boeing 737 – 900 ER planes.
On April 15, Malaysia’s AirAsia will provide the first flight of HCM City – Kuala Lumpur – HCM City route. The Hanoi – Kuala Lumpur route of the airline came into operation several years ago.
Thai AirAsia, a member of AirAsia, is also planning to fly between HCM City – Bangkok with two flights a week. The first flight is expected to take off in April.
Cebu Pacific of the Philippines is going to open two new air routes, Manila – HCM City (4 flights a week), Manila – Hanoi (3 flights a week), commencing as of April 10.
Prior to that, at the end of 2007, Viva Macau, which is considered ‘half budget, half traditional airline’, opened the direct route from HCM City to Macau with four flights a week.

(Source: Tien phong)