india

Updated: Jul 31, 2019 09:53 IST

IndiGo is set to launch daily direct flights between Kolkata and Hanoi from October 3, making the Vietnamese capital the fifth Southeast Asian destination on the airline’s network, the low-cost carrier announced on Tuesday.

The flight to Hanoi (6E 1398) will take off from Kolkata at 12.40 pm and the return flight (6E 1399) will reach the city at 5.55 pm, it said.

William Boulter, the chief commercial officer of IndiGo, said, “It is truly a very special moment for all of us at IndiGo as Kolkata will be connected with Hanoi on its network for the first time.

“This milestone reflects our relentless focus and commitment towards strengthening our network between the eastern corridors of India and the Southeast Asia region, in tune with the government’s ‘Act East’ vision.” The bookings have opened with immediate effect, with one-way fare starting from Rs 9,999.

“We foresee a rising demand for Hanoi, which is famous for its historic architecture and a rich blend of Southeast Asian and French culture. Additionally, we are also expecting a high demand for the Buddhist circuit as Vietnam has a large Buddhist community,” Boulter added.

Currently, IndiGo operates flights to Bangkok and Singapore in Southeast Asia from Kolkata.

The budget carrier had last week announced that it will introduce daily, non-stop flights connecting Kolkata with Yangon from September 20. It will also operate flights on the Kolkata-Hong Kong route from mid-August.

Kaushik Bhattacharjee, the director of the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in the city, said IndiGo would be the first airline to operate direct flights between Kolkata and Hanoi.

“The city does not have flight services to Vietnam till date. As far as the Kolkata airport is concerned, it is good that the airline is starting daily services between Kolkata and Southeast Asian countries,” he added.

Anil Punjabi, chairman of the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), said new flight services would boost the travel and tourism sector in the country.

“Vietnam is known for its beaches, buddhist pagodas, rivers and other points of interest. Besides leisure travel, the sector is also likely to enhance business travel,” he said.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)