Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air have begun using a flight plan simulator to test the direct air routes through Laotian and Cambodian airspace.

Starting today, August 29, the JetPlanner software will be used to create flight plans. The system is capable of simulating routes for various types of aircraft, such as the Airbus 320 and Boeing 777. The testing period is expected to last from August 29 to September 3.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAV), the simulator has a 99% accuracy rate. The CAAV has asked Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air to create new flight plans using the system and submit the results, comparing the old and the new routes along with their advantages and disadvantages by September 5.

In 2009, the CAAV received a proposal for the creation of a new route between Hanoi and HCM City, now known in the domestic aviation industry as the "golden route". It was thought up by former pilot Mai Trong Tuan, who says that this new route would save up to 5,000 litres of fuel per trip. However, many experts are against Tuan's proposal.

The Ministry of Transport then asked the prime minister to review the direct route after receiving agreement from various agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Finance. The ministry will also cooperate with the civil aviation authorities of Laos and Cambodia, the ICAO in Asia-Pacific Region to open the new route.

Dantri/VNN