Emirates has signed two Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with Vietnam Airlines and VietJet to strengthen connectivity and offer more travel options between Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and the Vietnamese cities of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
In a press release issued on October 29, 2024, Emirates announced that the MoUs were signed during the UAE Business Forum, held at the Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah hotel in Dubai on October 28, 2024.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, attended the signing ceremony along with government leaders, ministers, and business representatives from both countries.
“Enhancing our cooperation with like-minded partners like Vietnam Airlines and VietJet is integral to our core commercial strategy to better connect customers across points beyond our own network,” Kazim said. “Vietnam is a market that presents tremendous opportunities to boost tourism and trade as a key hub in Southeast Asia, and Emirates supports the UAE government’s ongoing efforts to elevate its existing economic ties with Vietnam.”
The UAE and Vietnam also signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) on October 28, 2024, the first free-trade agreement Vietnam has established with a Middle East country, aiming to boost trade and investment.
According to the UAE Ministry of Economy, in the first half of 2024, bilateral trade between the two countries surpassed $3.2 billion, a 43% increase on-year.
The MoU signed with Vietnam Airlines sets the framework to expand the current cooperation in place between both airlines, the press release continued. This includes enhancing connectivity on routes beyond the existing interline and the potential to add reciprocal loyalty benefits. The airlines will also enter exploratory discussions around potential collaborations across cargo and technical services.
The long-standing relationship between Emirates and Vietnam Airlines has enabled travelers to access 22 domestic and 15 regional destinations within Vietnam Airlines’ network, along with 12 destinations in Emirates’ worldwide network.
Emirates and VietJet have signed an MoU to improve travel options in VietJet’s domestic and regional network, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang. The partnership will also give VietJet customers better access to Emirates’ worldwide network through Dubai, all on one itinerary with a single baggage policy.
Emirates currently operates daily services to both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, offering travelers access between Vietnam and popular destinations across Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The airline will add a second daily flight to Ho Chi Minh City starting from January 15, 2025, ahead of the Lunar New Year festival in China.