Kazakhstan's national flag carrier, Air Astana, has announced it will officially launch a direct air route from Almaty, the country's largest city, to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam on January 1, 2013, with two flights a week, every Wednesday and Friday.
A Boeing 757-200 aircraft will leave Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City at 13:00 and arrive at Almaty International Airport at 19:50 Vietnamese time, then turn back to Vietnam at 0 1:15 the following morning.
According to Air Astana, the opening of the route, which coincides with Vietnam's preparations for the free trade agreement negotiations with the Customs Alliance of Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan, marks a milestone in the relationship between the two countries, serving their long-term co-operation and bringing people from both countries closer together.
Passengers who book their ticket via Vietway Aviation Services before January 1, 2013, and fly within January, will be eligible for a 30 percent discount.