Can Tho International Airport, which is the crucial air link between the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and other localities, such as Hanoi, Danang, Con Dao and Phu Quoc, is operating at only some 30% of its capacity since its launch in 2011, said an official at a meeting on February 22.

Travellers are seen at the check-in counters at Can Tho International Airport before their departure to Bangkok 

Organized by the People’s Committee of Can Tho City, the meeting was aimed at seeking solutions to promote the utilization of the VND3-trillion airport, reported the news website VnExpress.

In addition to domestic air services, the airport has recently organized charter flights between Can Tho and Thailand during the summer. It has also launched unregular flights to carry Vietnamese wives working in Taiwan, when returning home to celebrate the Lunar New Year, or Tet holiday.

Last year saw 815,000 passenger arrivals to the airport, up 20% over 2017. The airport apron is now able to accommodate nine slots, an increase from the previous seven. The move is intended to satisfy the increasing demand in the coming period, said the airport’s director, Pham Thanh Tam.

The airport is expected to launch six new flight routes, according to Le Tien Dung, director of the municipal Transport Department.

Additionally, budget airline VietJet is scheduled to open four air services to connect Can Tho with the northern port city of Haiphong, Vinh City in the central province of Nghe An, the northern province of Thanh Hoa, and the Central Highlands city of Dalat.

Also, fledgling Vietnamese carrier Bamboo Airways, a subsidiary of property developer FLC Group, will kick off its Can Tho-Hanoi service. Two of its rivals already offer flights from Can Tho.

Meanwhile, AirAsia, Asia's largest low-cost carrier, will also launch two routes linking Can Tho with the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur and the Thai capital of Bangkok.

The director suggested that the city government develop measures to promote new air services to residents in the Mekong Delta region.

Also, representatives of four- and five-star hotels urged the local government to diversify tourism products, in a bid to lure more tourists and raise the length of their overnight stay.

Local departments and other State agencies are requested to coordinate with such airlines to promote the city’s tourism and call upon investors to develop tourism projects there, said the city’s vice chairman, Truong Quang Hoai Nam.

SGT