Some Vietnamese carriers trim flights due to financial woes, low demand
Sunday, October 15, 2023, 12:25 GMT+7
Restructuring, financial distress, and the low travel season have forced several Vietnamese airlines to reduce flight frequency on both domestic and international routes.
Six Vietnamese carriers, namely Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, Bamboo Airways, Pacific Airlines, Vietravel Airlines, and Vasco are offering air services in the country.
While national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and low-cost carrier Vietjet own large networks, the remaining airlines operate on a smaller scale with lower numbers of flights.
Bamboo Airways, which had offered services using 30 aircraft and been set to increase its fleet to 100, has seen its plane count shrink to 21 with 114-120 flights operated per week since early this month.
Vietravel Airlines currently operates three aircraft, compared to six last month, as it had to hand back aircraft to Cambodia Airways.
The active fleet of Pacific Airlines comprises 10 aircraft but two of them are under maintenance.
According to a Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam plan for 2023, the combined fleet size of local carriers would rise from 230 aircraft early this year to 250 by the end of the year.
However, the total number of aircraft operated by these carriers has inched down.
Data from Planespotter, an online database about commercial aviation, showed that Vietnam Airlines Group, which includes Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, and Vasco, operates 100 aircraft, followed by Vietjet with 80, Bamboo Airways 21, and Vietravel Airlines three.
The fleet size may change constantly due to aircraft rental time.
A Vietnamese carrier's representative told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the aviation market has entered the off season and some carriers are restructuring their businesses, thus sending the frequency of domestic flights down by at least 15-30 percent and driving up airfares as a result.
Given the said reasons, flight delays and cancelations have become increasingly frequent, affecting travel plans of passengers.
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