HCMC – The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has written to the Ministry of Transport proposing increasing domestic flights and reducing the distance between passengers on aircraft on the peak days of April 30 and May 1.
Local airlines transported a combined 10,000 passengers per day from April 23 to 25, equivalent to 11% of the figure seen in January, according to CAAV.
Due to the in-flight social distancing requirement, the number of seats available on aircraft is lower than normal, the local media reported.
The authority proposed increasing domestic services from April 29 to meet the travel demand during the upcoming holidays of Reunification Day on April 30 and International Labor Day on May 1.
Flight frequency on the Hanoi-HCMC air route should be increased by four to 24 daily round-trip flights.
The number of flights should be increased by two per day on the Hanoi-Danang and HCMC-Danang air routes, while four more daily round-trip flights should be added to each of the other domestic routes.
Besides this, the authority suggested the ministry should allow local airlines to raise their flight frequency during the May 1-15 period, equivalent to 40% of the figure seen in December last year.
Specifically, the Hanoi-HCMC route can operate 33 daily round-trip flights, with 13 Vietnam Airlines flights. Vietjet is set to operate 12 round-trip flights per day during the period, while Bamboo will operate six and Jetstar will operate two.
Some 11 daily flights are planned for each of the Hanoi/HCMC-Danang routes, with Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet operating four each.
When Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, is brought under control, travel demand is expected to rise. As such, the authority proposed allowing local airlines to offer services equivalent to 60% of the figure seen before the disease.
From May 16 to 30, 50 flights per day will be available for the Hanoi-HCMC air route, while the local airlines will add up to 20 daily round-trip flights on each of their Hanoi/HCMC-Danang routes.
Apart from this, the authority also proposed ending social distancing measures on aircraft.
