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 carriers, including Vietnam Airlines Group (Vietnam Airlines, Vasco, and 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 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 rate of 81.5%. VASCO operated 5,461 flights with an impressive 85% on-time performance, making it the most punctual domestic carrier.

Consequently, the average on-time performance of all carriers 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) being delayed.

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 cause of delays, accounting for 59.4% of cases, while carrier-related issues contributed to 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 can affect not only the subsequent flights of the same carrier but also those 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 and the increase in the number of delayed flights is the significant reduction in the transport force and fleet size of Vietnamese carriers, which has led to a substantial decrease in supply capacity on their routes.

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

Currently, the average daily operation time of Vietnamese carriers has increased compared to the same period in 2023. Vietnam Airlines’ average daily operation time is 13 hours/aircraft/day, a 22% increase; Vietjet Air’s is 14.5 hours/day, an 11.5% increase. Vietravel Airlines has an average daily operation time of 11.5 hours/day, a 21% increase, while Bamboo Airways’ average daily operation time is 12.5 hours/day, a 20.1% increase.

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

Looking ahead, carriers are expected to receive additional aircraft and have plans to lease more to supplement their existing fleets, which will reduce supply pressure on existing routes and better meet passenger demand.