Traveling to Ha Long Bay from Hanoi by seaplane is not faster than going by car.

When traveling to Ha Long Bay from Hanoi by seaplane, you'll need to go from Hanoi to Noi Bai Airport, then take a detour, which takes much more time compared to driving by car.

Traveling to Ha Long Bay from Hanoi by seaplane is not faster than going by car.

The issue raised above is one of the many inconveniences mentioned in the report sent by Quang Ninh province and Hai Au Aviation Joint Stock Company to the management agency. These challenges have hindered the seaplane service, despite high expectations, as it has not brought satisfaction to customers after more than a month of operation.

In particular, travel companies using this service to transport passengers to Ha Long Bay consider the mentioned flight path as 'not suitable', as travelers still have to move to Noi Bai Airport from the city center by car. Moreover, current regulations require aircraft to detour through Hai Phong or Ha Nam before reaching Ha Long, resulting in flight times being 1.5-2 times longer than the direct route.

Travel agencies have stated that this has made traveling by seaplane not advantageous compared to driving from Hanoi to Ha Long, increasing costs and decreasing service quality.

To address this issue, the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee proposes to implement services at Gia Lam Airport or West Lake, where seaplane services have been available since the French colonial era. Additionally, they suggest allowing seaplanes to fly directly between destinations.

The second hindrance that disappoints tourists is according to the regulations of the Ministry of National Defense, passengers on seaplanes are not allowed to take photos or videos. Quang Ninh Province believes that this is not in line with international norms for sightseeing flights, especially with the natural beauty of Ha Long Bay. Moreover, the current flight altitude of 1,000-2,000m above the bay and 1,500m on the route also makes it difficult for tourists to enjoy the scenery.

Therefore, Quang Ninh Province proposes allowing companies to operate at lower altitudes and relaxing regulations to allow tourists to take photos at certain times when flying in the bay area.

In addition, the local authorities also propose to the Ministries of National Defense and Transport to open more seaplane landing points on islands in the Van Don, Co To, and Mong Cai areas – potential tourist destinations – to expand the product chain as well as to connect with other localities to link destinations nationwide.

Hai Au Aviation Company further states that flight operations currently require permission prior to each flight, causing difficulties for businesses when customers have urgent requests. In fact, the company has repeatedly refused requests for bay sightseeing flights citing inability to schedule flights independently due to licensing issues.

According to the company, aircraft can fly visually (VFR) from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. under sufficient visibility conditions, while instrument flight rules (IFR) can operate 24 hours. However, the current flight operations for seaplanes, regulated by the Ministry of National Defense, are limited from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., limiting the vehicle's capacity and significantly reducing opportunities to serve tourists.

Hai Au Aviation Joint Stock Company has commenced operating seaplane services since early September with the Hanoi – Ha Long route, priced at $250 USD (5.2 million VND) per one-way trip. Prior to flying, the company estimated the flight duration to be 30 minutes, however, current observations show that the time for passengers to travel from downtown Hanoi to Ha Long has increased approximately threefold.

Hai Au is the first private airline to operate seaplane services, licensed for general aviation operations, providing flight services beyond public passenger transportation and military use.

 According to VnExpress

***

Reference: Mytour Travel Handbook