Emirates is exploring possible cargo cooperation with Vietnam Airlines following the signing of two Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with the Vietnamese flag carrier and VietJet, a low-cost airline based in Hanoi.
Orhan Abbas, Emirates' senior vice president of Commercial Operations, Far East, noted the airline's commitment to deepening its presence in Vietnam, a market it has been serving since 2012. This will further support trade and tourism links between the UAE and Vietnam.
[Source: Emirates]
Emirates noted that 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.
"Our decades-long cooperation with Vietnam Airlines has enabled us to enhance connectivity between Vietnam and Dubai, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to explore further elevating this partnership while also establishing a new strategic cooperation with VietJet. We look forward to growing our footprint in Vietnam and exploring more opportunities to widen the scope of our partnerships in the future," Abbas said.
The MoU sets the framework for expanding the current cooperation between both airlines. This includes enhancing connectivity on routes beyond the existing interline and the potential to add reciprocal loyalty benefits.
Possible cargo cooperation
Aside from expanding passenger links — which would boost belly capacity for freight — Emirates noted that both airlines are also eyeing a possible air freight partnership.
"The airlines will also enter exploratory discussions around potential collaborations across cargo and technical services to create seamless experiences for travellers," Emirates said.
The long-standing partnership between Emirates and Vietnam Airlines, which began with bilateral interline cooperation in 1994, has helped connect customers to 22 domestic and 15 regional points in Vietnam Airline's network and 12 points in Emirates' global network.
"This MoU with Emirates is a significant milestone for Vietnam Airlines. The cooperation allows us to unleash the combined power of our networks as Vietnam Airlines seeks to leverage our international presence and provide our passengers with enhanced flexibility and convenience," said Nguyen Chien Thang, Vietnam Airlines' executive vice president.
Through Emirates' MoU with VietJet, both airlines will explore joint initiatives to help boost traffic between the UAE and Vietnam and strengthen their commercial cooperation.
The MoU will further aim to enhance connectivity to popular destinations in VietJet's domestic and regional network via Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang, among others. It will also offer VietJet customers increased access to Emirates' global network via its Dubai hub on a single itinerary and one baggage policy.
Meanwhile, the UAE and Vietnam have also signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA), the first free-trade agreement Vietnam has established with a Middle Eastern country, aiming to boost trade and investment.
According to the UAE Ministry of Economy, bilateral trade between the two countries surpassed US$3.2 billion in the first half of 2024, a 43% increase from the previous year.
The MoUs were signed on the sidelines of the Vietnam—UAE Business Forum, which was held on October 28 at the Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah Hotel in Dubai.