The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is predicting that Viet Nam will become the world's seventh fastest-growing market for international passengers, with a 6.9 per cent growth rate.

In its forecast for 2013 to 2017, which was released at a forum marking inaugural ceremonies for Aviation Day in the capital city yesterday in Ha Noi, IATA also predicted that Viet Nam would become the world's fastest-growing market for international freight, with a 6.6 per cent growth rate.

With the impending ASEAN liberalisation of the country's air transport sector beginning 2015, the demand for travel will continue to grow, said Tony Tyler, IATA Director General and Chief Executive Officer.

At the forum, which IATA and Vietnam Airlines organised and attracted more than 140 participants from 100 international and domestic organisations, Tyler said Viet Nam was a dynamic and rapidly growing aviation market.

"The successful development of aviation will pay big dividends to the Vietnamese economy," Tyler added. "It must be treated as a strategic asset and handled correctly."

Industry figures showed that aviation has contributed US$6 billion to Viet Nam's gross domestic product and was supporting more than 230,000 jobs. From 2008 to 2013, Viet Nam's passenger traffic grew by 96 per cent.

For his part, Pham Ngoc Minh, Vietnam Airlines President and Chief Executive Officer, said that to ensure stable development of the country's aviation industry, Vietnamese airlines should ensure absolute safety and complete flight service quality, with focus on the improvement of their operations and on-time index.

Minh said airlines would need to actively take part in IATA's safety management programmes and get the certification of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).

The forum, carrying the theme "Aviation: Wings of economic growth that connect Viet Nam to the world", provided a venue for the discussion of opportunities and challenges facing Viet Nam's aviation industry.

Forum topics included Viet Nam's aviation infrastructure development, airline safety and airline priorities for airports. Two panel discussions focused on aviation policies, infrastructure and services that can help grow the industry, as well as global trends and Viet Nam's integration.

Aviation Day was held as Viet Nam's airline industry celebrates the 100th anniversary of commercial aviation in the country.

On January 1, 1914, the country's airline industry was launched with a single aircraft carrying one passenger on one route. This year, the industry marks the safe transport of an estimated 3.3 billion passengers and 52 million tonnes of cargo, supporting jobs for 58 million people worldwide and delivering goods worth $6.8 trillion, representing one-third of the total value of internationally-traded goods.

Minh said Vietnam Airlines has received IOSA certification since 2006 and was undergoing continuous and periodic evaluation of its operations in line with the company's airline's safety management programme.

He added that the carrier has actively integrated itself into the international market by joining two prestigious global airline organisations: IATA in 2006 and the SkyTeam Alliance in 2010.