HCMC – The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has projected a significant drop in domestic air passengers in 2024, with the number expected to fall by 3.5 million to a total of 38.5 million compared to this year.
During a review conference on December 19 on the aviation sector’s performance in 2023 and plans for next year, CAAV pointed out some positive signs of recovery in domestic and international air services.
This year, local airlines have transported 74 million passengers, 34.5% higher than in the previous year. This figure accounts for 94% of the number of passengers recorded in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Out of these passengers, 32 million are international travelers, a 170% increase from the previous year. However, this number only represents 77% of the 2019 volume for international passengers using local air services.
Based on the capacity of local airlines, CAAV expects an increase in the total number of passengers to 80.3 million in the coming year, 7% higher than this year. However, it is anticipated that international passengers may surpass domestic ones.
Domestic passenger numbers are forecast to fall significantly next year, with only 38.5 million passengers, down by 3.5 million compared to this year. On the other hand, international passengers are expected to increase by 30% against this year to 41.8 million.
This forecast comes in the wake of recent flight cuts due to lower-than-expected passenger numbers and aircraft fleet cuts by local airlines in response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rising input costs and fuel prices for aviation have led local airlines to hike airfares, making air travels expensive given the current difficult economic conditions.
