It flew through thunder and lightning to get there but Air New Zealand's inaugural flight from Auckland to Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City arrived last night.
Passengers, including Minister of Economic Development Steven Joyce and Vietnamese ambassador to New Zealand Viet Dung Nguyen, were welcomed at the airport by a kapa haka group. Women dressed in traditional Vietnamese garb presented flowers to Mr Joyce and Air New Zealand's chief sales and commercial officer Cam Wallace, who was also on the flight.
Mr Joyce said with 90-odd million people at an average age of 24, Vietnam was a fast-growing economy.
The two countries had a good relationship and it was hoped the new service would further encourage links in education, business and tourism links between the two.
"Its about increasing the knowledge the Vietnamese have of New Zealanders.''
While in Ho Chi Minh, Mr Joyce will open a new technology centre "Kiwi Connection'' and speak at a culinary collaboration event featuring students from New Zealand and Vietnam, including one from Otago Polytechnic at Cromwell and one from SIT in Invercargill.
Mr Wallace said the flight would run on a seasonal basis three times a week from now until the end of October.
- Rebecca Fox in Ho Chi Minh City
