The first direct flight from Tokyo’s Narita Airport landed at Da Nang International Airport at 6.45pm on Wednesday, carrying 170 Japanese passengers. 

Vietnam Airlines (VNA) will operate 4 Da Nang-Narita direct return flights per week utilising an Airbus A321.  The flights will depart from Da Nang at 11.10am on Wednesdays and 10.40am on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.  The opening of this service should be good news for the city’s travel agencies who are trying to appeal to the Japanese tourist market more effectively.

First Japanese passengers off the Narita-Da Nang flight

According to the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the number of Japanese visitors to the city last year increased by 53% year-on-year to over 41,000.   Local tourism experts said that Japan is Da Nang’s third-largest foreign tourist market after China and South Korea.  The Japanese market is, however, more sustainable than the Chinese one, and the city is likely to welcome more high-end tourists from Japan. 

On 1 July, VNA opened a daily service from Ha Noi to Tokyo's Haneda Airport.  Local tour operators who specialise in the Japanese tourist market said that the opening of the Da Nang-Narita and Ha Noi-Haneda services will improve the links between Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang and Japan’s 4 largest cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya.  In addition, the flights should prove convenient for business travellers because of the convenient departure times.  To mark the opening, VNA is offering Da Nang-Narita tickets at promotional prices.  A return ticket is priced at 7,375,000 VND, equivalent to 349 USD, excluding fees, taxes and surcharges.  This special price is for flights from 16 July until 31 December.