VietNamNet Bridge - Jetstar Pacific Airlines Joint Stock Aviation Company on June 1 opened direct air routes from Hanoi to Nha Trang resort in central coastal Khanh Hoa province and to central coastal Da Nang city with one daily flight on each route.

These are the first air routes launched by Jetstar Pacific since its inception under a business service agreement reached between the Australian Qantas Group airline Jetstar and Vietnam ’ second largest carrier, Pacific Airlines.

Jetstar Pacific CEO Luong Hoai Nam said to celebrate the International Children’s Day (June 1), the company exempted air fare for children under 15 on the day. A total of 120 children flew with Jetstar Pacific on the Hanoi-Nha Trang and Hanoi-Danang on June 1. Nam added that children under two years old can travel free on all Jetstar Pacific flights anytime.

Excluding the two new routes, Jetstar Pacific serves an existing seven destinations within Viet Nam operating almost 130 weekly return services with an existing fleet of four single class Boeing 737-400s. The airlines says it intends to have a fleet of 30 A320s with flights increasing eight-fold by 2014.

Jetstar Pacific is expected to expand into other markets like Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia later this year.

The Qantas Group now holds 18 percent of stake in Pacific Airlines and plans to increase its investment in the airline to 30 percent by 2010.