Vietnam Airlines May Face Loss of US$10Mln Due to Bird Flu Return
Vietnam’s national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has admitted that it may face a loss of nearly US$10 million this year if the bird flu epidemic broke out and spread widely again in Vietnam, according to an airline official.
The business activities of Vietnam Airlines have showed good signs of development since the beginning of the year, but the official said the loss would not be eluded.
According to the official, when bird flu occurred last year it caused a loss of US$3-5 million for Vietnam Airlines. The airline also faced a loss of US$30-50 million due to the SARS epidemic in 2003.
The official also said Vietnam Airlines has taken measures to cope with a possible bird flu pandemic this year, including the bans on the use and transport of poultry meat and eggs on all flights.
The airline served nearly 5.3 million passengers in the first ten months of this year, up24.5 per cent on-year.
It announced total revenue of VND15.6 trillion (US$987.34 million) in the first nine months of the year, up 28.9 per cent on-year and representing 82 per cent of the yearly target.
Vnexpress
Vietnamese
