NHA TRANG, 15 SEPTEMBER 2017 - AirAsia continues to widen the Asean connectivity with the inaugural flight of its 54th unique route to Nha Trang, Vietnam that flies daily directly from Kuala Lumpur. The maiden flight also marked another milestone for the carrier as AirAsia is the first airline to operate direct flights to Nha Trang from Malaysia.

The inaugural flight recorded a positive flight load of 93%. A grand receiving ceremony was held at the Cam Ranh International Airport to celebrate the arrival of flight AK204 in Nha Trang. The aircraft arrived at 11.35AM yesterday and was greeted with a water cannon salute. Guests on board the inaugural flight included Dato’ Fam Lee Ee, Board of Directors for AirAsia Berhad; Spencer Lee, Head of Commercial for AirAsia Berhad; as well as a group of Malaysian, Australian and Singaporean media who will participate in a familiarisation trip to explore the Asean treasure of Nha Trang.

In conjunction with the momentous celebration, a press conference was held in Nha Trang with the attendance of Nguyen Thị Le Thanh, Vice Director of Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism; Dato’ Fam Lee Ee, Board of Directors for AirAsia Berhad; and Spencer Lee, Head of Commercial for AirAsia Berhad.

Spencer Lee, Head of Commercial for AirAsia Berhad said, “This year is a big year for Asean as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN formation with many key activities happening in the region. As a truly Asean airline, we are proud to continue our commitment towards growing Asean and connecting the region further with direct route to Nha Trang. We look forward to sharing the beauty of this Asean treasure with our passengers through our daily flights operating directly from Kuala Lumpur.

“Vietnam is a key market for us and we are humbled to be able to continue to provide more connectivity between Vietnam and Malaysia. Nha Trang is a great addition to our network and we see a good potential in the destination which was why we have decided to increase our Fly-Thru routes benefitting travellers from the region and beyond to visit the coastal city. We also hope the people from the Khánh Hòa Province will take the opportunity to discover Malaysia, Asean and the world with our extensive connectivity of over 120 destinations across 27 countries,” he added.

Guests can make use of the optional Fly-Thru service connecting to other flights with their baggage checked-through to the final destination without the hassle of immigration clearance at the transit hub. With this optional service, guests can now travel to Nha Trang seamlessly from 8 countries with 23 cities including Johor Bahru, Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Langkawi, Singapore, Jakarta, Bali, Bandung, Surabaya, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Changsha, Xi’an, Wuhan, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Sydney, Perth, Maldives, Colombo, and Tiruchirappalli.

AirAsia also connects guests from Kuala Lumpur to other cities in Vietnam including Ho Chi Minh City with 42 times weekly flights; Da Nang with 10 times weekly flights; and Hanoi with 11 times weekly flights.

As the coastal city and capital of the Khánh Hòa Province, Nha Trang brings about a marvellous picture where old meets new with heritage attractions set in a modern city. Travellers can expect an unforgettable getaway discovering the beautiful bays with white sandy coastlines and blue waters; appreciate the remaining Cham ethnic minority ruins on a hill overlooking the Nha Trang fishing villages at Po Nagar Cham Towers; have a fun day out at the Vinpearl Land Amusement Park that holds a Guinness World Record of a 3,320-metre long cable car system with spectacular sea views; marvel at the Nha Trang Cathedral with French Catholicism influence; take a drip in natural hot springs or mud bath; and enjoy the delectable street food such as can cake snack, jellyfish noodles and bird’s nest soup.