Vietnam Airlines by mid-December transported over 5.7 million passengers and expects the number to climb to 6 million late this year, one million higher than last year.  
 
The national flag carrier has transported some 17,000 passengers and more than 260 tons of goods a day on average. Its seat occupancy rate this year has increased 4 percent year-on-year to 69 percent, the highest ever so far.

The company has so far this year operated 50,000 safe flights, marking its ninth consecutive year of flying safely.

Vietnam Airlines has just announced an offer of 10,000 cheaper tickets for domestic flights before and after the lunar New Year 2006 festival, or Tet, which falls on Jan 29, 2006.

Accordingly passengers will enjoy a maximum discount of 50 percent on ticket prices if buying 14 days in advance with fixed date and time.

The company also plans to add more flights from HCMC to Danang in the central region at Tet, with 2,100 seats per day, an increase of 1,400 from normal days.

Also to ease increased demand at Tet, Vietnam Airlines will run one more flight from Hanoi to Moscow on Dec. 29 in addition to the four weekly flights on this route.

(Source: Thanh Nien, VNA, Nguoi Lao Dong – Compiled by Thu Thuy)