The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has reported to the Ministry of Transport that local air carriers had complied with regulations on ticket sales, declarations, and pricing practices following the authority’s inspection into the airlines’ ticket sales, mainly between April 1 and May 4 this year.

The CAAV inspected Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, Bamboo Airways, Vietravel Airlines, and six ticket agents from Tuesday to Thursday last week.

The authority concluded that the four air carriers had sufficiently declared air ticket prices on domestic routes within the frames regulated by the Ministry of Transport.

In particular, Vietnam Airlines offered 17 prices; Vietjet, 20; Bamboo Airways, 15; and Vietravel Airlines, 18. All of the prices did not exceed the airfare caps.

They made declarations of transport services, system administration surcharges, system service surcharges, and value added tax, among others.

The total surcharges ranged between VND430,000 (US$16.9) and VND480,000 ($18.9) per ticket, depending on air carriers.

Passengers buying air tickets via airlines’ websites would receive information about all components of the ticket prices.

For tickets purchased at air ticket sale offices, passengers were subject to an additional fee of VND50,000 ($2).

The CAAV’s inspection also disclosed an increase in economy-class airfares on domestic routes between January 1 and April 30 this year compared to the same period last year.

On the three main routes, including Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi-Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City-Da Nang, all of the four airlines offered higher ticket prices.

Vietnam Airlines’ tickets saw a respective increase of 19.9, 28.4, and 14.9 percent on the three routes, while Vietjet's airfares increased 17.9, 39.9, and 27 percent, respectively.

Bamboo Airways and Vietravel Airlines also reported airfare rises.

However, 60-70 percent of the tickets for flights on these routes were at low and medium prices, according to the CAAV.

The authority stated that the inconsistent display of air ticket prices on air carriers’ websites plus unclear components of the ticket prices led to misunderstanding among passengers.

The CAAV asked the four airlines to review and adjust their airfare displays, ensuring that all components of the ticket prices are clearly presented.

The airlines must regularly check and supervise their ticket sale systems to promptly detect and handle violations in ticket sales, declarations, and pricing.

The CAAV suggested making conditions favorable for the establishment of new air carriers to ensure a healthy and competitive environment.

As of Friday, the CAAV had received 11 complaints about high airfares, but none of them showed violations of airfare regulations.

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