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Edelweiss to launch direct flights between Zurich and HCMC
Update day: 06/08/2018
Edelweiss, Switzerland’s leading leisure airline and sister company of Swiss International Air Lines, will commence direct flights between Zurich and HCMC in November this year as part of a plan to expand its network to Asia.
Edelweiss will use Airbus A340-300 aircraft for the seasonal direct flights between Zurich and HCMC from November 15 to serve passengers on the route, the company said on May 30.
As scheduled, Edelweiss aircraft will depart from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCMC at 8:40 a.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, and land in Zurich at 3:45 p.m. (local time) on the same days respectively.
The number of Swiss visitors to Vietnam is on the increase and ties between Switzerland and Vietnam are expanding, Swiss Consul General in HCMC Othmar Hardegger said at a function held in HCMC on May 30 to announce the new service.
The airline said the new service will enable Swiss and other European tourists to reach Vietnam with ease and in comfort.
“Vietnam and its countless leisure activities are very popular among Swiss tourists,” Bernd Bauer, CEO of Edelweiss, said in a statement. “Swiss vacationers tend to spend more time and money than visitors from other countries. Our flights will bring approximately 10,500 visitors HCMC each year, generating an annual economic impact of more than US$32 million.”
People in Vietnam will be offered an opportunity to travel direct to Zurich and have many onward flight options from the Swiss city to other European cities and world-wide destinations with Swiss International Air Lines.
More Vietnamese people have visited Switzerland to enjoy majestic mountains with eternal snow and glaciers, scenic trains, tranquil lakes and rivers, and shopping, according to Urs Eberhard, executive vice president of the Swiss National Tourism Board.
“Switzerland is a dream destination for many Vietnamese and now with the direct flight connection by Edelweiss it is easier than ever to make this dream come true,” Eberhard said. “Last year Vietnamese guests spent more than 15,000 nights in Switzerland and we forecast a continuous growth of 10-12% annually until 2022.”
Eberhard said there will be packages combining airfares and land tours for Vietnamese people to explore Switzerland and discussions with major travel firms in Vietnam are underway to design such packages.
“Travel agents like Saigontourist, Vietravel, TST, Blue Sky and East Sea Travel will develop new travel itineraries in Switzerland in combination with the Edelweiss Air flight and offer customized journeys to cater to each individual need,” Eberhard said.
Heiko Brix, senior director of sales in Southeast Asia and Pacific, Lufthansa Group, told the function that agents could book airtickets of the direct flights between Zurich and HCMC and that there would be competitive airfares launched for the new service.
With a fleet of 15 aircraft, Edelweiss operates flights to 68 destinations in 33 countries, transporting some 1.8 million passengers a year. The airline is a member of the Lufthansa Group.
Source: thesaigontimes.vn
Update day: 06/08/2018
