Vietnam Administration Says 'No' To HCM City Routes For Airasia
HANOI - The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) has rejected Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia's application for routes to Ho Chi Minh City. AirAsia, which began flights in Vietnam last June, will be required to wait for a licence because Tan Son Nhat International Airport is already overloaded.
Director of CAA's Air Transport and Navigation Department, Lai Xuan Thanh, said that the administration had encouraged AirAsia to select Hanoi rather than Ho Chi Minh City.
Dang Ngoc Sinh, another CAA official, said increasing congestion at Tan Son Nhat Airport made Hanoi's international airport and others in central Vietnam more attractive alternatives. He said that AirAsia should consider Da Nang and Phu Bai international airports as viable options.
According to the CAAV, Macau's Viva Airlines also wants to fly to Vietnam with three Boeing 767s and one 787.
Currently, more than 20 domestic and international airlines operate in Vietnam, including budget carriers like Singapore's Tiger Airways and AirAsia.
Under the proposed 'open sky' agreement expected to be adopted by ASEAN nations in 2008, the Vietnamese aviation market will swing open to international carriers, resulting in increased competition and air traffic.
Vietnam News Agency - April 6, 2006.
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