Aviation administration proposes increasing fleet to 234 planes

The increase is to meet demand that will rise during Tet (the Lunar New Year Holiday), which falls in late January this year. The administration said that the increase in aircraft will also help Vietnam prepare for the world aviation recovery.

After the pandemic broke out in early 2019, domestic airlines reduced their fleets to 225 aircraft. Of these, 190 planes remained in operation and 12 were under maintenance. Another 23 were not flying during the pandemic.

The administration also proposed that the Transport Ministry allow domestic airlines to increase their fleets to surpass the 234-plane mark this year to meet the increasingly bigger market demand, airport infrastructure, operating capacity of the carriers, and safety supervision of relevant agencies.

With the domestic market forecasted to reach 45.5 million passengers in 2023, the number of aircraft needed for the domestic market alone is 182.

Vietnamese airlines expect to transport 13.6 million international passengers in 2023, which will require the use of 57 aircraft.

Domestic airlines are expected to use 230 aircraft in the first months of this year, with the number rising to 250 at the end of 2023.

On Jan. 8, Vietnamese airlines will resume scheduled flights to China.