Illustrative photo (Source: VNA) The CAAV has submitted adraft plan on the operation of domestic flights between October 21 and November30 after 10 days of the trial reopening of domestic air routes.
It suggested that the flightfrequency on the routes of Hanoi - Da Nang, Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City, and DaNang - HCM City for each airline should not be over 10 percent higher than theaverage that carrier operated in the first week of April 2021, before the fourth waveof infections began.
Accordingly, there will besix flights per day for each route (two by Vietnam Airlines, two by VietjetAir, one by Bamboo Airways, and one by Pacific Airlines). Each of other routeswill have no more than one round-trip flight by one carrier per day,the CAAV proposed.
Within 15 days since the implementation of the plan, it will assess the pandemic situation in each locality and nationwideto work out an appropriate plan on flight frequency.
The authority also suggestedthe requirement for keeping distance on planes be removed, which has also beenrepeatedly urged by airlines recently.
Reviewing the pilotresumption of domestic flights over the past days, CAAV Deputy Director Vo HuyCuong said only 49 percent of the planned flights have been operated, pointingout that airlines have had to wait for official instructions issued by theMinistry of Transport and the CAAV to sell tickets.
Demand for many air routes suchas Thanh Hoa - Lam Dong, HCM City - Ca Mau, Da Nang - Can Tho, HCM City -Rach Gia and Da Nang - Buon Ma Thuot was low. While the routes linking Hanoi, Da Nang, and HCM City have only one flight per day now, failing to meet passengerdemand.
Besides, except for Hanoi andHCM City, the percentage of people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in manylocalities is still low. There are also many families who want to use airtransport but their children under the age of 18 have yet to be inoculated, makingthem ineligible to board flights.
These factors havecontributed to the low rate of flights operated recently, according to Cuong./.
VNA
