The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has reported that the average on-time performance (OTP) of Vietnamese airlines in November 2024 was 68%, reflecting a significant drop from 84.2% in the same period last year. Despite this decline, flight operations increased by 1% year-over-year, rising from 19,502 flights in November 2023 to 19,697 flights last month.

Among domestic carriers, Bamboo Airways led the industry with an OTP of 86.8%, followed by VASCO (83.4%), Pacific Airlines (82.4%), and Vietravel Airlines (73.9%). Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air reported OTP rates of 72% and 59.2%, respectively.

Regarding flight cancellations, the industry recorded 106 cancellations in November, accounting for 0.5% of total flights. Bamboo Airways and Vietjet Air had the lowest cancellation rates at 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively. Vietnam Airlines and VASCO each canceled 0.8% of their flights, while Vietravel Airlines reported the highest cancellation rate at 2.3%.

Bamboo Airways retained its position as the most punctual carrier in both November 2023 and November 2024.

Challenges and preparations for the Lunar New Year

The aviation sector is facing heightened operational pressure as it prepares for the busy year-end and Lunar New Year (Tet) travel season. With Tet arriving earlier than usual in 2025 and a nine-day public holiday providing opportunities for travel, passenger demand is expected to soar.

According to the CAAV, airlines have scheduled over 7 million seats on domestic and international routes between January 14 and February 12, 2025, representing a 5% increase compared to the previous Tet holiday season. Domestic seat availability alone exceeds 4.9 million, averaging 165,000 seats per day, a 4.8% rise from 2024.

Pre-holiday booking rates, especially for flights from Ho Chi Minh City to provinces such as Hue, Pleiku, Quy Nhon, and Thanh Hoa, have already surpassed 50%, with some routes nearing full capacity. Bamboo Airways reported that flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Thanh Hoa, Vinh, and Hai Phong are fully booked, while return flights remain available at discounted fares starting from VND 59,000 per leg (excluding taxes and fees).

Post-holiday travel demand is similarly high, with return flights to Ho Chi Minh City from Pleiku, Quy Nhon, and Thanh Hoa nearing full capacity. On certain dates, booking rates have already reached 100%.

To meet the surge in demand, domestic airlines are expanding fleets and reopening both domestic and international routes. Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air are expected to welcome new aircraft by the end of December, while Bamboo Airways has recently leased an additional aircraft and resumed several regular routes.

The CAAV emphasized that airlines must focus on ensuring operational reliability and passenger satisfaction during the peak travel season, particularly as November’s on-time performance and cancellation rates highlighted existing challenges.

N. Huyen