Vietjet and UPS start joint cargo service between Asia and US

Vietnam's Vietjet and UPS, the world's biggest package delivery company, announced on Friday the start of joint operations to fly cargo between Asia and the US. The budget airline and US-based UPS in September began pooling garments, seafood, medical goods and other products from Vietnam, Thailand and neighboring countries, shipping them from Hanoi to the US on weekly flights via Incheon, South Korea. The companies also collaborated on deliveries between Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Like other airlines during the pandemic, Vietjet has suffered from low demand. Vietnam welcomed 3.8m travelers in the first nine months of 2020, down 70.6% from the same period last year, according to the state General Statistics Office. The airline halted most cross-border service, operating only 15,000 flights in the third quarter, mainly within Vietnam and Thailand -- down from 34,000 flights across 12 Asian countries in the third quarter of 2019. It posted a loss of 926b dong ($40m) in air travel in Q3 2020, versus a loss of 1.1t dong in Q2. But the company's fortunes are looking up. "Vietjet has been one of the first airlines in Asia to navigate toward air cargo as part of a new business strategy unfolding in response to the pandemic," said Do Xuan Quang, CEO of the company's cargo operations.<br/>