Viet Nam air traffic speeds up, goes big

August 22, 2008 in Uncategorized
Tags: Add new tag, air, big, goes, Nam, speeds, traffic, Viet

HA NOI — Passenger traffic on key routes to and from Viet Nam could grow faster than the world average, Airbus senior marketing analyst Susana Martin-Romo Pozo said at a press conference in Ha Noi yesterday.

The Viet Nam-Frankfurt route, for instance, could increase as much as 10.2 per cent, while world passenger traffic is forecast to grow 4.9 per cent on average, Martin-Romo said.

“The European aircraft manufacturer Airbus sees a need for the superjumbo A380 in Viet Nam in the next decade, driven by exceptionally strong traffic growth,” she said.

The aircraft A380 operates long-haul routes with a capacity of 525 passengers.

It burns less fuel, and is relatively environmentally friendly and quiet.

The A380 was the solution for airlines in Viet Nam to meet business and tourist demand, Martin-Romo said.

Sean Lee, Airbus head of regional communications, said the company had recorded strong sales and that 754 orders for new aircraft had been placed by the end of July.

These included 10 A350 XWB and 10 A321 aircrafts ordered by Vietnam Airlines and 10 A321s booked by Vietnam Aircraft Leasing Company.

So far, Vietnam Airlines and Vietnam Aircraft Leasing Company has ordered a total of 45 kinds of Airbus aircrafts, of which 13 had been delivered, according to Lee.

Lee expressed hope that Vietnamese airlines would order more Airbus aircrafts, and expected a total of 80 by 2020. —