The Vietnam Aviation Department has revoked a licence for operating flights in Vietnam of China’s Viva Macau Airlines, said Vo Huy Cuong, head of the department’s air transport division.

The department received an announcement from the Macau-based low cost carrier on March 29 saying it could not conduct flights from Macau to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi and vice versa as its AOC (An Operating Certificate) was revoked by the Macau aviation authorities, Cuong was quoted reportedly by Nhan Dan daily on March 31 as saying.

According to the Vietnam aviation law, the carrier is not permitted to operate flights in Vietnam without AOC. Viva Macau Airlines said on March 29 all flights between Macau and Hanoi had been cancelled from March 27, and the Macau – HCM City flights cancelled from March 28 to April 1.

It attributed the delays and cancellations to its “inability to reach an agreement with the sole fuel supplier in Macau .”

The airline said in a press release that its shareholders had offered credit guarantees to the supplier, but “no agreement could be reached and therefore flights were stopped unexpectedly.”

In addition to HCM City and Hanoi services, the termination of AOC affected flights to other destinations including Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne and Jakarta.

Thirty-three flights have been cancelled, affecting 4,739 passengers.

The carrier has been in active contact with passengers and providing refunds in accordance with its “Conditions of Carriage.”

Before the cancellation, Viva Macau was operating a daily service to HCM City and three weekly flights to Hanoi./.