The Skies Aren’t So Friendly: A Quarter of Vietnamese Flights Face Delays

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.

Of these, Vietnam Airlines operated 83,552 flights with an on-time departure rate of 83%. Vietjet Air operated a total of 83,326 flights with a 63% on-time performance. Bamboo Airways operated 13,064 flights with an on-time rate 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 departure rate for all airlines was 74.2%, according to the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority.

In the past nine months, delayed flights accounted for a significant proportion, with 25.8% (equivalent to 50,031 out of 194,027 flights) experiencing delays.

Of these, Vietnam Airlines had 14,212 delayed flights (17% of their 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 cause of delays, accounting for 59.4% of cases, with airlines contributing 29.3% to these delays.

In September alone, Vietnamese carriers operated 17,720 flights, a significant decrease from the previous month, with an on-time departure rate of 76.6%. There were also 4,142 delayed flights, accounting for 23.4%.

The most common cause of flight delays was late incoming flights. This reflects the fact that when a flight arrives late, it not only affects the subsequent flights of that 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 reason for the high number of delayed flights is the significant reduction in the transport force and fleet size of Vietnamese airlines, resulting in a substantial decrease in supply capacity on their routes.

The aviation industry has implemented a range of synchronized solutions, focusing on adjusting flight schedules, reducing turn-around times, optimizing daily flight operations, and increasing flights during the afternoon and evening hours.

Currently, the average daily flight operation duration for airlines has increased compared to the same period in 2023. Vietnam Airlines’ fleet now averages 13 hours per aircraft per day, a 22% increase over 2023. Vietjet Air has achieved an average of 14.5 hours per day, an 11.5% increase. Vietravel Airlines has seen a 21% increase, averaging 11.5 hours per day, while Bamboo Airways has increased its average daily flight operations by 20.1%, reaching 12.5 hours per aircraft per day.

However, this solution also presents drawbacks and limitations, as the number of technical issues, delays, and cancellations may increase. To mitigate this, the Civil Aviation Authority has directed airlines to enhance aircraft maintenance checks before and during peak seasons and closely coordinate with ground handling agents to ensure efficient flight operations.

Looking ahead, carriers plan to receive additional aircraft and lease planes to expand their fleets, reducing supply pressure on existing routes and better meeting passenger travel demands.