On May 23, the National Assembly discussed in the hall, and delegate Huynh Thi Phuc of Ba Ria-Vung Tau raised concerns about airfare being high compared to the average income of Vietnamese citizens.
According to Ms. Phuc, airfare has increased significantly since the beginning of the year, ranging from 13% to 25% on average. Regarding this issue, authorities argued that although domestic airfares have increased, they are still within the regulated price range. Ms. Phuc acknowledged that while this might be true, domestic airfares are considerably higher compared to those in neighboring countries, as evident from search results.
Delegate Huynh Thi Phuc (Ba Ria-Vung Tau)
The female delegate questioned why domestic airfares are relatively expensive compared to the average income of Vietnamese citizens. She also pointed out the frequent occurrence of scarce flight tickets and the airlines reporting losses.
Ms. Phuc conveyed the concerns of voters and the people, expressing their desire for the Government and the Ministry of Transport to pay attention, provide guidance, and implement measures to create a transparent competitive mechanism in air transport and aviation business operations. She also emphasized the need to attract diverse investors in aviation infrastructure.
The delegate suggested considering the regulation of price ceilings or price floors for domestic airfares. She argued that when prices rise, it not only directly affects society and the tourism industry but also has a reverse impact on the development of the aviation industry.
Earlier, during the discussion in the group, delegate Bui Hoai Son of Hanoi also requested clarification on the reasons for the high airfares and proposed solutions for stabilization. He pointed out that high airfares would reduce mobility and negatively affect the tourism and hospitality industries.
Comparing domestic airfares to those in Thailand, Mr. Son suggested providing support packages to the aviation industry to offer promotional programs. He noted that collaboration between the aviation and tourism industries has been lacking, with each sector working independently and reaping their own benefits without sharing risks.
Therefore, he emphasized the need for tighter cooperation between the two industries to create promotional products that help reduce airfares. In the long run, Vietnam should invest in aircraft maintenance centers to lower service costs in this sector.
