CHENNAI: Soon, those planning a visit to popular tourist destination Vietnam will be able to take a direct flight from Chennai instead of going via Bengaluru or Mumbai.
The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation has officially included Chennai as a Point of Call to designated carriers of Vietnam which will give a boost to the city’s connectivity to global cities.
A statement was issued by Union Minister of State Muralidhar Mohol on March 24 in the current Parliament session while responding to a question by MP Dr John Brittas. This will enable airlines to start direct flights between Vietnam and Chennai, an official confirmed, though a decision will be taken by carriers only if there is a realistic demand from the city.
P Wilson, Rajya Sabha MP from the DMK, had, on March 28, said that Chennai had been sidelined by the ministry as the PoCs had been shifted to Hyderabad despite a higher demand for flights to Vietnam from Chennai. He thanked Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on April 2 for acknowledging the issue and reinstating Chennai as a PoC for Vietnamese flights.
Tourism to Vietnam from India has boomed, with official figures from the country indicating a spike from 138,000 in 2022 to 501,000 in 2024 and an even greater increase expected in 2025.