20 foreign airlines want to fly into Phu Quoc

Their representatives met with Kien Giang Province chairman Huynh Quang Hung Wednesday to look into the possibility of starting new services.

Philip Claud Odhiambo Ojuang, chairman of the Association of International Airlines in Vietnam, said the island has great tourism potential and authorities should improve Vietnam's visa policy to boost travel.

Hung said that Phu Quoc receives 80-90 flights on an average day and up to 160 on a busy day.

There are eight daily direct flights to India, South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia, he added.

The island received its first flight from Bangkok last week with its 126 passengers made up mostly of Thai travel bloggers and tourism workers.

Phu Quoc is one of five busiest and most efficient airports in Vietnam, and will be upgraded in the coming years to handle 20-30 million passengers a year by 2030.

This year it has received four million visitors.