Vietnam Airlines has set an ambitious target of serving more than nine million passengers on its domestic and international flights in 2008, following the successful year 2007, according to the airline’s general director.
Pham Ngoc Minh said the new target would help the national flag carrier achieve 2008 growth of more than 14 per cent over last year.
Minh pointed out ensuring enough aircraft and pilots, improving the efficiency of the whole network, and cutting operation costs as among the measures to realize the goal and enhance competitiveness.
However, the shortage of aircraft is still the biggest challenge faced by the airline in the coming years, Minh admitted.
The airline signed three big contracts with Boeing, Airbus and ATR last year to buy 20 150-seat A321s, eight 280-seat B787-8s, five 70-seat ATRs and ten 300-seat A350-900 from 2006 to 2020.
Vietnam Airlines currently operates 47 aircraft, including 10 Boeing 777s, 10 Airbus A320, 11 A321 and four A330s.
It will receive four more A321s next year and four Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners ordered several years ago from 2009.
Vietnam Airlines, which is set to be partly privatized soon to compete against new airlines and budget carriers entering the Vietnamese market, now has direct flights to 26 major cities in the Asia-Pacific region and Europe.
The state-run airline registered 2007 revenues of more than VND20.3 trillion (over US$1.27 billion), an on year rise of 15.5 per cent, and earned pre-tax profits of VND370 billion (nearly US$23 million), up 6.4 per cent on the previous year.
Last year the airline operated 59,432 safe flights with seating occupancy rate of 75.4 per cent and transported nearly 115,100 tons of cargo, up 8.2 per cent over 2006.
Vietnam Airlines also serviced more than eight million passengers last year, up nearly 16 per cent over 2006 and 2 per cent higher than the year’s target. Customers on its international flights accounted for 3.2 million of the total number. (Labor, Saigon Times Daily)
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