First commercial seaplane flight to Co To Island conducted
The first commercial flight by seaplane from Tuan Chau Island to Co To Island in the northern province of Quang Ninh was conducted on July 9, marking the first service of its kind connecting two islands in Vietnam.
The seaplane service uses Cessna Grand Caravan 208B EX, a modern seaplane model of the US. (Photo: VNA)
QuangNinh (VNA) – The first commercial flight by seaplane from Tuan Chau Island to Co To Island in thenorthern province of Quang Ninh was conducted on July 9, marking the first service of its kind connecting two islands in Vietnam.
The flight, with eight tourists on board departed Tuan Chau port in the province’s HaLong city at 8:30am and safely arrived on Hong Van beach of Co To about 35minutes later.
Using theseaplane service, provided by the Hai Au Aviation JSC of the Thien Minh Group,passengers can save much travel time and have a chance to enjoy a bird’s eyeview of the majestic beauty of destinations on Ha Long Bay such as Ban Sen,Ngoc Vung, Quan Lan, Minh Chau, and Bai Tu Long, with introduction directly presentedby crew members on board.
The commercialflights use Cessna Grand Caravan 208B EX, a modern seaplane model of the USthat can fly at about 300km per hour and carry up to 12 passengers. However, eachtrip carries only six to eight passengers to ensure their safety and comfort.
The companyis offering a 20% discount to all passengers booking tickets and havinground-trip flights between Tuan Chau and Co To this July. The price ticket nowis 2.4 million VND (about 100 USD) per way each passenger.
Seaplaneservices have yet to be popular in Vietnam. The launch of the service in the islanddistrict of Co To is expected to help diversify tourism services and promotelocal tourism.
Hai Au Aviation launched the first seaplane service for tourism in Tuan Chau in2014, with one to three round-trip flights between Hanoi and Ha Long, and five to 10 sightseeing tours of Ha Long Bay every day./.
With 30 islets, Co To island district off Quang Ninh province is considered among the 10 most beautiful islands for tourism in Vietnam. The islets boast long coastlines, smooth white sand, spectacular landscapes and sea breezy cool temperatures.
The Hai Au Aviation company plans to open its commercial flight route connecting two renowned tourist destinations in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh – Tuan Chau island in Ha Long city and Co To island – this July.
The northeastern province of Quang Ninh attracted about 7.1 million tourist arrivals in the first five months of this year, 1.7 times higher than the figure of the same period last year, according to the provincial Department of Tourism.
Tourists visiting Co To island of northeastern Quang Ninh province have been urged not to bring plastic bags as it aims to build a sustainable, green tourism environment.
The Hai Au Aviation JSC announced on July 6 that it has launched a new seaplane service linking Tuan Chau in Ha Long city to Co To island in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh.
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The seaplane service uses Cessna Grand Caravan 208B EX, a modern seaplane model of the US. (Photo: VNA) 
