Even though Vietnam's Saigon-to-Hanoi air route recently joined the ranks of the world's busiest, the country's airports have not necessarily caught up with its rapid growth in air traffic: in 2016 alone, over 38,000 flights in Vietnam were delayed or canceled.
At a conference earlier this month, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) announced that roughly 36,844 flights, or 16% of the 228,000 flights operated by Vietnam-based airlines in the last 11 months were delayed, while another 1,605 flights were canceled, reports Tuoi Tre.
According to the news outlet, these issues occur because Vietnam’s aviation market is expanding faster than its local airports can handle. In fact, by the end of 2016, Vietnam will have served approximately 52 million passengers, including international arrivals, a staggering 29% increase from last year.
In Saigon, congestion at Tan Son Nhat International Airport is hardly news anymore. According to VnExpress, airport authorities in the southern hub recently had to ask Vietnam Airlines, VietJet and Jetstar Pacific to park their domestic fleets at nearby Can Tho Airport overnight, or in Cam Ranh or Da Nang, as a result of overcrowding.
While this request will result in higher operational costs and, undoubtedly, airfares, Tan Son Nhat is already overextended with increasing international and domestic flights. Though the airport has been expanded a few times already, the rate that air travel is growing in Vietnam means the long-awaited Long Thanh Airport can't come soon enough.
[Photo via Airports Corporation of Vietnam]
