QuangNinh (VNA) - Commercial flights from/to the Van DonInternational Airport in northern Quang Ninh province will resume from May 4,after an unexpected hiatus due to the COVID-19pandemic.

Dailyflights on the Van Don-Ho Chi Minh City route will be offered by budget carrierVietjet, while four weekly flights on the route will be provided by nationalflag carrier Vietnam Airlines from May 16 and Bamboo Airways is to operatedaily flight on the route from June 1.

VietnamAirlines will also operate three flights linking Van Don and Da Nang per weekfrom May 16.

Sincethe outbreak of COVID-19, the airport has been one of the few in the country toreceive 36 flights from pandemic-hit areas with nearly 5,600 passengers.

VanDon Airport Director Pham Ngoc Sau said the airport will coordinate closelywith Quang Ninh authorities in implementing tourism promotion campaigns andflight expansion so that the airport can become an important gateway toconnect and speed up socio-economic development of the province, the northeastregion and the whole country.

Theairport is striving to add flights connecting Van Don with Phu Quoc andNha Trang in the third quarter this year while expecting toreceive charter flights to Van Don from China and the Republic of Koreafrom this year’s third quarter right after these countriesallow international air services.

Addinginternational flights is expected to contribute to the plan to attract touriststo Quang Ninh, with the province targeting 15 to 16 million visitors, includingseven million foreign visitors, by 2020. 

Theairport has a capacity of receiving 2.5 million passengers per year and isexpected to expand to a capacity of welcoming five million passengers peryear by 2030./.