Vietnam enjoying an air travel boom

Vietnam has seen strong growth in its air transport market over the past decade and is one of the fastest expanding in the region, analysis from IATA shows.

IATA indicates that Vietnam has advanced from being Asia Pacific’s 11th largest air passenger market in 2014 to the eighth largest in 2024.

It also registered the highest growth rate amongst the top 10 markets in the region, at 121% from 2014 to 2024.

This surge results from the country’s strong economic performance and growing appeal as a travel destination. Visa simplification for countries and the opening of new international routes have stimulated demand, news hub Travel Mole reported.

Vietnam is perceived as one of the last frontiers in Asia for foreign travellers, gaining market shares over its competitors, notably Thailand.

With 22 to 23 million foreign travellers expected in 2025, Vietnam is on track to become the third largest destination in south-east Asia, behind Malaysia and Thailand.

International passenger traffic surged by 26% last year. Data from the Vietnam National Statistics Office highlights that airlines transported 54.2 million passengers in 2024, of which 19.7 million were on international flights.

IATA stats show, seven of the top 10 international markets for travel to Vietnam more than doubled from 2014 to 2024.

As an example, traffic from India grew tenfold during this period.

South Korea is by far the largest source of international arrivals for Vietnam. It represents more than twice that of second-placed China.

Image: Alessandro Castiglioni, Scop.io   

Flight cancelled after pilot found with taser

Americans like to be well armed.

 

It is, of course, their God-given right to be armed to the teeth. 

Even international airline pilots, apparently. 

A flight from Edinburgh, Scotland, to Newark, outside New York, was cancelled over the weekend after airport security discovered a taser in the pilot's bag. 

The pilot was scheduled to fly the United Airlines plane but instead found himself under arrest and facing firearms charges. 

Non-police issued tasers are illegal in the UK unlike in Bumfluff, Iowa, or wherever the 56-year-old pilot comes from. 

The airline said the pilot was "removed from service" leading to the last minute cancelation of the flight.

“We are fully cooperating with local authorities,” the airline said.

The US Federal Flight Deck Officer program allows certain qualified pilots to carry firearms in the cockpit to defend against hijacking attempts.

The service disruption left passengers unable to get back across the Atlantic on time. 

Image: Jan Niepel, Scop.io 

Under-fire Qantas predicts a massive profit

It may have been under fire for poor customer service and a plague of late and cancelled flights but Qantas announced today that it expects an underlying profit before tax of between $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion.

So I'm sure they will be giving back the taxpayer money they were given during Covid. Only joking.

In a press release issued this morning, Qantas insisted operational performance continues to improve with the airline back at or around pre-Covid service levels in first half of October.

Strong travel demand is accelerating the Qantas Group’s recovery, the airline said.

"Based on forward bookings, current fuel prices and latest assumptions about the second quarter, the group expects underlying profit before tax of between $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion for the first half of FY23," the statement said.

"This follows five consecutive halves of heavy losses due to the pandemic and cumulative statutory losses of $7 billion."

Both Qantas and JetStar have announced sale fares starting today, with more than 1 million fares across 67 domestic destinations starting at $35 one-way.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce, said: “It’s been a really challenging time for the national carrier but today’s announcement shows how far we’ve come.

“Since August, we’ve seen a big improvement in our operational performance and an acceleration in our financial performance.

“It’s clear that maintaining our pre-Covid service levels requires a lot more operational buffer than it used to, especially when you consider the sick leave spikes and supply chain delays that the whole industry is dealing with. That means having more crew and more aircraft on standby and adjusting our flying schedule to help make that possible, until we’re confident that extra support is no longer needed.

“Qantas’ operations are largely back to the standards people expect, and JetStar’s performance has improved significantly in the past few weeks and will keep getting better with the extra investments we’re making."

Image: Qantas 

Back on the move: Vietnam welcomes flights - with immediate effect

Vietnam is opening its doors to international tourists from today. 

The south-east Asian nation is lifting all restrictions on international passenger flights, state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper reported. 

Vietnam imposed tight border controls at the start of the pandemic to keep out Covid-19 but its tourism sector was badly impacted. 

"The frequency of flights will be restored to pre-pandemic levels," said Dinh Viet Son, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam.

Vietnam began gradually loosening restrictions earlier this year with flights allowed from 15 markets and it also reduced quarantine requirements.

Vietnam recently announced plans to fully reopen all its borders.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said it would happen "ideally at the end of March and no later than the end of April".

"With higher rates of vaccination along with other measures, we will be able to reopen the country safely, for the sake of economic recovery and development," he said last month.

Vietnam already allows limited quarantine-free travel to some tourism destinations including Phu Quoc, Da Nang, Hoi An and Nha Trang.

Image: Can Ranh Bay: Winsor Dobbin