Of which, 129,165 flights departed on time, a decrease of 1.7 per cent over the same period and representing 86.1 per cent of the total number of flights.

More than 21,000 flights were delayed or cancelled in the reviewed period, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (CAAV).

Vasco, a low-cost airline belonging to national carrier Vietnam Airlines, continued to be the best performer in terms of punctuality, with 97 per cent of flights on time out of 6,775.

Vietnam Airlines came second with 89.35 per cent out of 64,221 flights on time.

Vietjet Air and Jetstar Pacific operated 60,362 and 18.439 flights in the first six months of 2018, and their rates of delayed and cancelled flights were 17 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively.

The CAAV attributed the delays and cancellations to subjective reasons from airlines as well as weather conditions, flight management and late arrivals.

Nguyen Minh Tuan, deputy director of the Southern Airports Authority, said that overcrowding at Tan Son Nhat International Airport and the increase in the number of flights and passengers during the peak season caused high pressure on airline staff which had led to lower service quality and long queues, causing delays. — VNS