Vietnam’s flagship carrier, Vietnam Airlines (VNA), will open a new direct air route from Hanoi to Osaka on January 13, 2010, said VNA spokesman Le Hoang Dung.

There will be five flights a week from Hanoi to Osaka on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, bringing the total number of flights between the two countries to 33 every week.

The Hanoi-Osaka route is VNA’s fourth direct air route from Hanoi to Japan.

VNA now holds a 50 percent market share of passengers flying from Vietnam to Japan.

A Malaysian Budget Airline, AirAsia, has opened a direct air route from Hanoi to Thailand. The airline hopes to attract more passengers with its cheap tickets.

Source: VOV