Vietnam province seeks permission for Ha Long Bay seaplane takeoff from Hanoi lake

Nguyen Van Doc, chairman of Quang Ninh Province, has signed a document submitted to the Ministry of Transport and Ministry of National Defense, urging them to “create conditions” for Hai Au Aviation to expand its seaplane service to “better serve customers as well as develop the local tourism industry.”

Ha Long is the capital city of Quang Ninh, and is home to UNESCO-recognized Ha Long Bay. The northern city is 154km away from Hanoi.

In September, Hai Au Aviation began offering flights for sightseeing tours to the coves and islands in Ha Long Bay using two 12-seat Cessna Grand Caravan seaplanes shipped from the U.S.

The seaplanes currently take off from Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport, which Doc said in his proposal is not convenient for tourists.

“Tourists have to travel from downtown Hanoi to the airport, then return to the city, to be able to enjoy the seaplane service,” Doc said.

The international terminal is located in the outlying district of Soc Son, 30km and a 40-minute drive from the heart of the capital.

“The total time the customers need to travel to and fro the airport, plus the flying time, is no shorter than the time it takes to drive from the capital to Ha Long City by road,” Doc concluded.

The province’s chairman added that it takes the seaplane much longer to fly from Noi Bai to Ha Long, as it has to pass over the northern province of Hai Phong or Ha Nam before arriving in Quang Ninh.

“The current air route takes 45 to 60 minutes, while it would be only 30 minutes if the aircraft departed from downtown Hanoi,” he said.

Doc thus called on the ministries to allow Hai Au Aviation to have its seaplanes take off from Ho Tay (West Lake) in Tay Ho District, where a seaplane service was located during the French colonial era.

The seaplane service could also be based at Gia Lam airport, which is only 6.5km from downtown Hanoi, he suggested.

The Quang Ninh administration also seeks permission to open more landing and takeoff spots in Ha Long Bay to facilitate the service.

Hai Au Aviation ordered three Cessna Grand Caravan seaplanes from the U.S. at a total cost of US$10 million to serve tourism in Ha Long Bay, CEO Luong Hoai Nam said in a statement last month.

Two of the three were transferred to Hai Au in August and the last will be delivered to it not later than the end of this year.

Service between Hanoi and Ha Long costs more than VND5 million($235) per ticket, while an aerial tour above Ha Long Bay fetch more than VND5 million for 25 minutes, and over VND7 million ($329) for a 40-minute trip.