Vietnam Airlines is drawing up a plan to assess and recruit redundant pilots of Bamboo Airways, Vietnam Airlines CEO Le Hong Ha said on the sidelines of a conference of the transport sector on Thursday.

Local air carriers have been facing multiple difficulties over the past periods, with Bamboo Airways reporting a high number of redundant pilots after cutting its fleet.

Ha said he had worked with leaders of Bamboo Airways to mull over opportunities to support each other to overcome their hardships.

Earlier, a Bamboo Airways leader said many of its employees were laid off, including 100 pilots and 500 flight attendants.

Budget carrier Vietjet has agreed to hire 50 flight attendants and 20 pilots from Bamboo Airways.

The airline is calling on other domestic airlines to support it in finding employment for its employees.

As for Vietnam Airlines, the COVID-19 pandemic has exerted a severe impact on it. The airline is restructuring strongly to ensure its effective operation, Ha said.

Speaking at the conference of the transport sector, Vietnam Airlines chairman Dang Ngoc Hoa revealed many difficulties of airlines this year.

In particular, the jet fuel price was high in 2023, at US$105 per barrel, 30 percent higher than that in 2019, resulting in a surge of over VND6 trillion ($247.9 million) in Vietnam Airlines’ operation costs over 2019.

The international aviation market recovered positively in 2023 but the recovery pace was slower than expected in the last months of the year, especially in Northeast Asia.

Vietnam Airlines will maintain its market shares on major air routes and open more international air services in 2024, specifically those to Canada, Italy, and Northern European countries, Hoa informed.

He proposed that the government allow airlines to flexibly offer airfares while ensuring healthy competition.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!