CAAV says aviation market back to strong growth path

Vietnam’s aviation market is regaining its double-digit growth after the global economic turbulence hit the demand for international air travel, as shown in the first months of this year, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV).
Vo Huy Cuong, director of CAAV’s Air Transport Department, told the Daily on the phone that the country’s overall aviation market in March expanded up to 24% year-on-year, leading the market to achieve higher growth this year than last year.
Cuong said more than five million passengers traveled by air within Vietnam as well as from and to this country in the first quarter of this year, up 19% from a year ago, when the global airline industry took a hit from the global crisis.
Cuong calculated the foreign segment accounted for 2.8 million passengers and this had been always a common trend over the years. However, the gap between the domestic and foreign segments is narrowing as domestic demand for air travel tends to grow stronger, particularly during challenging times.
Cuong said that the domestic demand for air travel continued to increase this year, encouraging both Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific to operate more flights and on new routes within the country.
Vietnam Airlines added more than 220 flights to its normal flight schedule from April 22 to May 4 to quench the thirst of people for having air-tickets to travel to their families and tourist destinations because there were major long public holidays during this period.
The national flag air carrier and Vietnam’s second largest carrier Jetstar Pacific look set to increase flight frequencies and open new routes, especially from Hanoi to Nha Trang, Vinh and Chu Lai later this month and next month to transport more people from the north to sites of interest in central Vietnam during summer.
The additional flights give CAAV high hopes that Vietnam’s overall aviation market will grow at least 14% this year. Last year, the market registered year-on-year growth of only 8.4% to around 17.5 million passengers.
Cuong said the 14% growth was a safe forecast even though VietJet Air was expected to join the market, hopefully in August this year. This first private airline licensed in Vietnam is completing procedures to commence its first commercial services, including having an air operator certificate (AOC).
* Jetstar Pacific on Wednesday began fare promotions which allow passengers to get much saving when flying with the low-cost carrier during the low season.
Like other Jetstar-branded airlines, Jetstar Pacific applies a program called “Take a Friend for Free” in Vietnam. Under this promotion, every passenger who buys one of the special sale fares gets approval for one passenger to accompany them to travel for free.
Therefore, two passengers need to book fares from VND415,000 until May 6 for their single trip with Jetstar Pacific from September 7 to October 27. The departure flights applicable to this promotion and from HCMC to Haiphong, Hue and Vinh and vice versa will be on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from October 5 to 27.
From May 6 to 10, Jetstar Pacific will sell promotional fares from VND207,500 for a single trip between HCMC and Danang; from VND300,000 for a flight on the HCMC-Hue and Hanoi-Danang routes.
Fares start from VND600,000 for a flight between HCMC and Haiphong/Vinh, and from VND650,000 for the HCMC-Hanoi route.
Jetstar Pacific said the discount fares were nearly 50% lower than normal rates and could be booked at www.jetstar.com. The allowable departure flights are from September 7 to October 27.
Other Jetstar-branded airlines are offering fares from US$30 for a HCMC-Singapore flight, from US$108 for the trip between HCMC and Darwin, and from US$228 for the HCMC-Sydney route.