VietNamNet Bridge – The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) said two more airlines have received licenses to enter the burgeoning domestic aviation market at a time when a slew of challenges are looming as a result of protracted local and world economic woes.

CAAV’s director general Lai Xuan Thanh said in a recent report submitted to the Minister of Transport that the aviation joint-stock companies Hai Au and Hanh Tinh Xanh had been licensed to offer services using specialized planes, including helicopters, small-sized aircraft and seaplanes.

However, Thanh did not mention the charter capital of these aviation joint-stock companies and when they could begin services.

In addition to the two airlines, a number of new passenger and cargo airlines have been licensed since late 2007 to conduct flights within Vietnam and internationally. However, only VietJetAir and Air Mekong have made it.

Indochina Airlines was grounded not long after it took off. This private carrier was licensed in mid-2008 and operated its maiden services in November 2008 with two leased Boeing 737-800 aircraft. But, the airline had to return the last aircraft to a European company in November 2009 due to huge debt.

The VND500-billion Trai Thien Air Cargo got a business license in mid-2008 from the HCMC Department of Planning and Investment and approval of the Ministry of Transport in 2009 to provide services on local and international routes. However, the nation’s first air cargo airline has never taken off.

According to CAAV, local and foreign airlines transported 25.3 million passengers and 527,000 tons of cargo last year, up 6.5% and 10.9% year-on-year respectively. Local carriers Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific, VietJetAir, Air Mekong and Vietnam Air Services Co. (Vasco) alone carried 17.5 million passengers and just over 200,000 tons of cargo, up 5.2% and 1.98% respectively.

* VietJetAir has teamed up with an international hotel booking system Agoda to help customers find best hotel deals in Vietnam and abroad that are up to 75% lower than normal rates at vietjetair.com.

VietJetAir said through its hotel section of the website, customers were able to book and pay online for rooms at more than 265,000 hotels of three- to six-star ratings in Vietnam and elsewhere in the world. This service enables passengers to save time and money on working out their plans for business and holiday trips.

Desmond Lin, director of business development at VietJetAir, said the new service encouraged customers to map out travel plans as well as airfare and hotel bookings in advance to save money and time. He added more services would be available on the website so as to meet different needs of customers.

Source: SGT