According to CAAV, in 2014-2018, the Vietnamese aviation market witnessed a high growth rate of 20.5 percent in terms of passengers and 13.2 percent in cargo transported.

In 2018, the air transport market had 70 million passengers, up by 12.6 percent over 2017, and 1.2 million tons of cargo, up by 7.2 percent. The figures were 2.1 times and 1.64 times higher than 2013.

The seat occupancy rate of the airlines was over 84 percent in 2018 and over 80 percent in the first half of 2019.

The air transport output is expected to reach 60 million passengers by 2020 and 96 million by 2025. In order to transport passengers, Vietnam would need 255 aircraft by 2020 and 384 by 2025. The figures are calculated based on the estimates of 250,000 passengers per aircraft per annum.

The air transport output is expected to reach 60 million passengers by 2020 and 96 million by 2025. In order to transport passengers, Vietnam would need 255 aircraft by 2020 and 384 by 2025. The figures are calculated based on the estimates of 250,000 passengers per aircraft per annum.

CAAV has drafted detailed plans on the fleet expansion for air carriers in the period from now to 2025.

The fleet of Vietnam Airlines Corporation, including VASCO, would have 108 aircraft by 2020 and the figure would rise to 135 by 2025.

The figures for Jetstar Pacific Airlines are 22 aircrafts by 2020 and 32 by 2025. As for Bamboo Airways, it would have 22 aircraft by 2020 and 30 by 2025.

Meanwhile, Vietjet Air is building up its fleet expansion plan, under which it would have 102 aircraft by 2020 and 200 by 2025.

In a report to the Ministry of Transport (MOT), CAAV’s head Dinh Viet Thang said under the plans drafted by airlines, the total number of aircraft they would have by 2025 is 397, or 13 aircraft more than needed. The figure doesn’t include the number of aircraft of Vinpearl Air, Vietravel and Kite Air, the airlines which are waiting to join the aviation market.

CAAV said that Vietjet Air’s planned fleet expansion has gone too rapidly and it is necessary to reconsider the plan, emphasizing that the number of aircraft needs to fit the operation and governance capability, air routes and human resources development.

Since its establishment, Vietjet Air has added 10 aircraft each year.

Vinpearl Air and Vietravel reported to CAAV that they plan to receive nine more aircraft by 2020 (six for Vinpearl Air and three for Vietravel), and 38 by 2025 (30 for Vinpearl Air and 8 for Vietravel). As for Kite Air, Thien Minh Group, the owner, plans to have six aircraft by 2020 and 30 by 2025.

 Kim Chi

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