Illustration. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi – Deputy Minister of Transport Le Anh Tuan has asked the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) to promptly tackle flight delays and cancellations after latest data shows that up to 5,602 flights by domestic carriers were delayed in June (May 19 – Jun 18), accounting for 18.2per cent.

The figure was 15.9 percentage points higher than the same period last year and 9.4 percentage points higher than may, according to the report by CAAV.

The report indicates that six domestic airlines – Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Pacific Airlines, Vasco, Bamboo Airways, and Vietravel Airlines – operated total of 30,808 flights in June, up 528.7per cent compared to the same period last year and 18per cent against the previous month.

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and low-cost airline Vietjet Air outperformed the others, running 11,106 and 12,008 flights, respectively.

It showed that Vietjet Air was the least punctual with 2,885 flights delayed, equivalent to 24per cent of its total number of flights. Vietnam Airlines was the second worst in punctuality, with 2,230 postponed or 20.1per cent.

The two were followed by Vasco (11.6per cent), Pacific Airlines (9per cent), Bamboo Airways (4.8per cent), and Vietravel Airlines (2.7per cent).

CAAV said late-arriving aircraft was the main cause of delays in addition to other excuses, such as poor management and bad weather.

There were 65 flights cancelled during the period, making up 0.2per cent of the total.

Travel demand has been on a rise since the beginning of 2022 as a result of ease of COVID-19 restrictions. The number of passengers going through Vietnamese airports reached 40.7 million in the first half of this year, a year-on-year surge of 56.8per cent. They included 1.8 million foreign travellers, up 904.6per cent year-on-year.

Some 20.1 million passengers flied with domestic carriers in H1, up 56.1per cent year-on-year.

Vietnam’s domestic aviation market is recovering at the fastest pace in the world, growing 123per cent compared to the same period of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).