According to statistics from the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority, in the past nine months of this year, Vietnamese airlines, including Vietnam Airlines Group (Vietnam Airlines, Vasco, Pacific Airlines), Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways, and Vietravel Airlines, operated a total of 194,027 flights.
Passengers checking in. Photo: Phan Cong
Of these, Vietnam Airlines operated 83,552 flights with an on-time performance of 83%. Vietjet Air operated a total of 83,326 flights with a 63% on-time rate. Bamboo Airways operated 13,064 flights with an on-time performance of 82.8%.Vietravel operated 4,910 flights with an on-time performance of 81.5%. VASCO operated 5,461 flights with an impressive 85% on-time rate, making it the most punctual domestic airline.
Consequently, the average on-time performance of all airlines was 74.2%, according to the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority.
In the past nine months, delayed flights accounted for a relatively high proportion, with 25.8% (equivalent to 50,031 out of 194,027 flights) being delayed.
Of these, Vietnam Airlines had 14,212 delayed flights (17% of its total operated flights), Vietjet Air had 30,818 delayed flights (37%), Bamboo Airways had 2,250 (17.2%), Vietravel had 908 (18.5%), Pacific Airlines had 1,050 (28.3%), and VASCO had 793 delayed flights (14.5%).
Late incoming flights were the primary reason for delays, accounting for 59.4% of cases, with airlines contributing 29.3%.
In September alone, Vietnamese carriers operated 17,720 flights, a significant decrease from the previous month, with an on-time performance of 76.6%. There were also 4,142 delayed flights, accounting for 23.4%.
The most common reason for flight delays was late incoming aircraft. This reflects the fact that when an aircraft arrives late, it not only affects the subsequent flights of that particular airline but also potentially the flights of other carriers at the airport due to the interdependent nature of airline operations.
According to the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority, the main factor contributing to flight delays is the significant reduction in the number of aircraft and the scale of the fleet of Vietnamese airlines, which has led to a substantial decrease in supply capacity on various routes.
The aviation industry has implemented a range of synchronized solutions, focusing on adjusting aircraft operating times, reducing turn-around times between flights, optimizing daily aircraft utilization, and increasing flights during the afternoon and evening hours.
Currently, the average operating time of airlines has increased compared to the same period in 2023. Vietnam Airlines’ average aircraft operating time is 13 hours/aircraft/day, a 22% increase over 2023. Vietjet Air’s average operating time is 14.5 hours/day, an 11.5% increase. Vietravel Airlines’ average is 11.5 hours/day, a 21% increase, and Bamboo Airways’ average aircraft operating time is 12.5 hours/day, a 20.1% increase.
However, this solution also presents drawbacks and limitations, as the number of technical issues and flight cancellations may increase. The Civil Aviation Authority has directed airlines to enhance aircraft maintenance checks before and during the peak season and coordinate closely with ground handling agents to ensure smooth flight operations.
In the future, carriers plan to continue receiving and leasing additional aircraft to supplement their existing fleets, reducing supply pressure on existing routes and better meeting passenger travel demands.
