HCMC – Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has agreed with the Ministry of Transport’s proposal that the Government should only approve the establishment of new airlines once the aviation market has completely recovered, which is expected to happen in 2022.
According to a recent document of the Government Office, the Government is giving priority to supporting the airlines that are currently operating to overcome difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and helping the aviation sector recover.
Vietnam currently has five airlines—Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Vasco, Jetstar Pacific Airlines and Bamboo Airways. No registrations for new airlines have been made this year, but registrations from the previous years are still awaiting approval, including Vietravel Airlines and Kite Air.
The Government approved the establishment of Vietravel Airlines in March 2020, while the Ministry of Planning and Investment also submitted a plan in March for approval to the prime minister over establishing Kite Air.
Vietravel Airlines is expected to operate its maiden commercial flight in 2021, while the Ministry of Planning and Investment has been asked to review the case of Kite Air.
According to the Ministry of Transport, Vietnamese airlines currently own 214 planes but due to the pandemic, they are operating only domestic passenger flights and a limited number of international cargo flights, meeting less than 50% of their capacity.
It is expected that Vietnamese airlines will transport 32.6 million passengers this year, falling by 40.7% compared with 2019.
The ministry forecast that Vietnamese airlines will transport 57 million passengers in 2022, equivalent to 75% of the earlier forecast.
