The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will launch direct flights linking the Vietnamese capital Hanoi and the city of Osaka, Japan, on January 13, 2010.

Vietnam Airlines reported on Nov. 6 that it will conduct five flights a week, one on every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

These flights will replace those that are currently conducted by Japan Airlines, which are scheduled to be scrapped on January 12, 2010, due to a restructuring of its operations.

Vietnam Airlines General Director Pham Ngoc Minh said the opening of this air route following new domestic flights to Quy Nhon, Quang Binh, Tuy Hoa and Pleiku reflects the great efforts being exerted by the company as the global aviation sector races various challenges resulting from the world economic crisis.

The move also demonstrates the airline’s desire to further promote trade, investment and tourism between the Kansai region and Hanoi in particular and between Vietnam and Japan in general, he added.

The new air route is the fourth from Hanoi to Japan and the eighth between the two countries to be directly operated by Vietnam Airlines.

In the first nine months of this year, Vietnam Airlines accounted for almost 50 percent of the market share of direct flights between Vietnam and Japan which are currently flown by three airlines.