Da Nang is studying the possibility of opening a direct flight to Western Sydney International Airport in Australia. The city expects the route to expand tourism, trade and investment links with New South Wales.
On November 3 in Sydney, a Da Nang delegation led by Ngo Xuan Thang, deputy secretary of the city's Party Committee, met with Western Sydney International Airport leaders. They discussed a possible direct air link between the two cities.
The meeting took place during the delegation's working trip to Australia. The participants discussed establishing a Da Nang, Western Sydney route and expanding air links between central Vietnam and New South Wales.
Western Sydney Airport began serving passengers on October 25, 2026. Its initial design capacity is about 10 million passengers a year, and it can operate around the clock without a curfew. As it builds its route network, the airport is expected to create new international connections, including with Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Da Nang representatives said a direct route would support tourism, trade, investment, education and people to people exchanges between the two cities.
Da Nang has strengths in beach holidays, golf, ecotourism and trips to the cultural sites of central Vietnam. The city is also developing a hi tech park, industrial zones and a free trade zone, increasing demand for links with international businesses, investors and specialists.
Da Nang International Airport has a 4E airport code under ICAO standards and can handle wide body aircraft including the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350. Under a plan approved in February 2026, its capacity is expected to reach about 20 million passengers a year by 2030.
Skytrax rated Da Nang International Airport's T2 international terminal five stars for three consecutive years from 2024 to 2026. In 2026, the airport ranked 75th among the world's 100 best airports.
Passenger demand is also part of the case for studying the new route. In the first nine months of 2026, Da Nang received 376,981 Australian visitors, up 43.86% from the same period last year.
Operating a direct route would still require calculations based on two way passenger demand, seasonality, fleet capacity and the commercial performance of each option.
The Da Nang delegation proposed that the two sides work with airlines to study the market, choose a suitable flight frequency and consider destination promotion and route development support under the rules. The talks are intended to provide a practical basis for a possible direct connection between Da Nang and Western Sydney.
Da Nang explores UAV technology development
On November 3, during the working trip to Sydney, Vu Quang Hung, head of Da Nang's Management Board of the Hi Tech Park and Industrial Zones, met with the Advanced Drone Systems Research Centre at Macquarie University.
Centre director Professor Richard Han and other scientists presented interdisciplinary research on unmanned aerial vehicles. The work covers design, autonomous control, flight safety, technology development and commercialisation.
The researchers presented several technologies, including coordinated lifting and cargo transport by multiple UAVs, transferring packages and changing batteries between UAVs in the air, using LiDAR to detect and track several aircraft at once, and using artificial intelligence to select safe landing sites.
The group is also working to improve engine efficiency and aerodynamics, as well as the handover of observation targets between aircraft. The work is aimed at tasks requiring a wide operating range and long mission times.
The group's in air UAV battery replacement project received AUD 2.24 million from the Australia's Economic Accelerator programme. The project involves DroneX, which is helping move the technology towards commercialisation.
At the meeting, Vu Quang Hung suggested applications suited to Da Nang, including multisensor UAVs for monitoring forests, the sea and rivers, detecting forest fires, supporting search and rescue, and managing infrastructure and the environment. He also mentioned low altitude logistics and UAV demonstration services for tourism and events.
He proposed studying a research and development, testing, software development and commercialisation centre for UAV technology at Da Nang Hi Tech Park, with universities and companies taking part.
Sources: Thanh Niên
