Vietnam’s air carriers cry foul for parking spaces: Zing

On the land, with growing number of aircrafts, aviation companies are facing trouble with insufficient spaces for plane parking.  

In 2018, Vietnam Airport Corporation had a project to build an aircraft parking space at Noi Bai International Airport, with an investment of $21.5 million. Parking space at Tan Son Nhat International Airport was also had an investment of $47.4 million for additional 29 aircraft parking positions in this area.

The corporation’s investment added about 40 aircraft parking locations at the two Vietnam’s biggest airports in early 2019, when Bamboo Airways entered the market with 4 initial aircrafts.

At that same time, Vietjet Air also added about 16 planes to serve growing travelling demands. After that, the airline continued to add 5 other aircrafts to the fleet.

In 2018 and early 2019, Vietnam Airlines also added 6 aircrafts to its fleet. Later, the airline welcomed 11 more aircrafts. Though having additional room, parking space at the country’s two largest airports was expected to be filled soon.

Parking space insufficient is a barrier for Vietstar Airlines to join the market. The company sought approval for joining the market, but its proposal was rejected since there was no space in Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

Nearly 300 new aircraft look for parking space  

Bamboo Airways, which is in its first years of operation, is planning to sharply increase the number of aircraft. The company’s leaders confirmed it will increase its aircraft to 30 aircraft in 2020, an increase of 20 aircraft from the present, and to 100 aircraft by 2025, up 90 aircraft from the present.

Expanding fleet is among plan of the company to occupy 30% of domestic market share by 2020. The current occupancy rate of the airway’s flights is about 90%.

Vietjet is also planning to have a fleet of 200 aircraft by 2025, according to the airline's plan submitted to the Vietnam Aviation Administration. According to authorities, with the plan to increase by 10 aircraft per year, by 2020 the number of Vietjet aircraft can reach 84 aircraft and by 2025 is 120 aircraft.

Vinpearl Air of billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong is expected to own a fleet of 30 aircraft by 2025.

Kite Air of businessman Tran Trong Kien also wants to operate 30 aircraft by 2025. However, after considering infrastructure and efficiency, the Department of Aviation recommended that Kite Air reduce the number of aircraft in the fleet to about 20-25 aircraft by 2025.

Kien wants to join the aviation market with Vietravel Airlines. The airline is expected to take off in the third quarter of 2020, starting with 3 aircraft and increasing to 8 aircraft by 2025.

Vietravel, a tourism company also wants to join the aviation market with Vietravel Airlines. The airline is expected to take off in the third quarter of 2020, starting with 3 aircraft and increasing to 8 aircraft by 2025.

Source: Zing