Airway transportation means on occasion of 2007 Tet, Vietnamese traditional festival in Lunar Year of Pig
Flights on increase but demand unsatified
20:50', 11/1/ 2007 (GMT+7)

Number of airpassengers travelling to BinhDinhProvince have been on increase, particularlyon occasions of holidays and Lunar New Year Festival. However, Vietnam Airlines (VNA) hasn’t satisfied their demand yet because of many reasons. It can only increase number of flights in a definite point of times. Binh Dinh Newspaper had an interview with Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Chief of VNA Representative Office in Quy Nhon about this issue.

 

A Vietnam Airlines plane lands  at PhuCatAirport, Binh Dinh Provnce. Photo: B.L

 

Interviewer: Would you please tell something about VNA operation  in PhuCatAirport, BinhDinhProvince?

Mr. Thanh: In 2006, VNA had 1,142 flights to PhuCatAirport, carrying 74,507 turns of passengers, including 15,029 turns of foreigners. Number of flights didn’t increase but turn of passengers raised 7% in comparison with 2005. Seat capacity exploitation of Sai Gon-Quy Nhon-Sai Gon (SG - QN - SG) line reached 88% and of Quy Nhon-Da Nang-Quy Nhon line reached 50%.

Interviewer:  PassengersofSai Gon-Quy Nhon line have been more and more crowded. Will VNA open more flights for this air-route in the future?

Mr. Thanh: Now, we have 10 flights of ATR 72 Sai Gon - Quy Nhon per week, carrying roughly 65 passengers/flight. However, in order to meet the demand, we must serve 14 flights/week.

As you know, we need an advantegeous air-route to boost Binh Dinh socio-economic development. It plays a very important role now as Binh Dinh is on peak of calling more and more investment into Nhon Hoi Ecomnomic Zone. However, VNA is unable to open more flights to Binh Dinh in 2007 because of a shortage of its plane.

If VNA uses large size planes such as Airbus, PhuCatAirport doesn’t have enough necessary equipments (such stair-trucks, container forklift trucks, etc) to serve such the planes. Investment for these equipments is over VND 10 billion (USD625,000). VNA may increase night-flights to Quy Nhon City but Phu Cat Airport’s runway doesn’t have lighting system which is worth roughly VND 40 billion (USD2,500,000). Yet, the number of passengers of this line, in fact, increases suddenly on Tet occasion. It is wasteful to invest large amount of money into this line which is only in effective operation within 20 days/year.

Interviewer: How many flights to Quy Nhon will be increased by VNA in this Tet?

Mr. Thanh: In 2007 Tet, from 9th February to 26th February, VNA will open more 52 ATR 72 flights to Quy Nhon on SG - QN - SG line, providing 3,300 tickets more. This increase is  at the 4th rank nationwide, after Sai Gon - Ha Noi line, Sai Gon - Da Nang line and Sai Gon - Hue line. Compared with 2006 Tet, number of flights this year increase 20%. However, the demand hasn’t satisfied yet. These additional tickets were sold out within only one day of VNA online ticket selling service because of the overcrowding of Binh Dinh people who wanted to return home from Ho Chi Minh City by airplane in the Tet. At present, we request VNA to have 20 flights more before and after the Tet. Yet, in my opinion, that plan is quite infeasible because of the plane shortage. We just hope VNA can operate 5-7 flights more.

Interviewer: Thank you.

  • Interviewed by B.L
  • Translated by Hong Ha
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