Tiếng Việt
普通话
In response to a proposal by the authority of Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh Province seeking permission for the airport to serve foreign airlines that want to have a stopover at a local airport before reaching the airport of destination, a representative of the ministry said that the proposal was unreasonable and not in line with the aviation law and international practices, news site Vietnamplus reported.
The ministry told the airport authority to work with travel companies, directing them to cooperate with domestic air carriers.
If Vietnamese airlines are unable to offer the service, the ministry will ask the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to consider licensing foreign airlines to have two stops in Vietnam.
However, stopover flights on the domestic and international routes run by local air carriers and those to Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, Danang and Cam Ranh International Airports will not be permitted.
The ministry also requested Vietnamese air carriers to draw up plans to launch new air routes to Van Don International Airport.
Despite 68 aviation transport agreements being signed with other countries and territories, Vietnam has yet to allow foreign airlines to operate stopover flights on domestic routes.
According to a representative of a local air carrier, the policy to allow stopover flights should be applied in a reciprocal manner.
At present, Van Don International Airport serves only flights between HCMC and Van Don. To develop international air routes, the airport authority will initially focus on attracting chartered flights.
At a meeting with the airport authority, travel companies expected stopover flights to be allowed at the airport. For instance, after being transported to Van Don, passengers would be able to stay there for several days and then fly on to their final destinations, such as Danang, Hue, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc and Dalat.
Van Don International Airport is located in Doan Ket Commune in Quang Ninh’s Van Don District, covering 325 hectares of land. Its investment cost is nearly VND7.5 trillion (US$321 million), including VND734 billion sourced from the Quang Ninh Province’s budget.
The airport, which meets the International Civil Aviation Organization’s 4E standards and is a level-II military airport, can serve 2.5 million passengers per year by 2020 and up to 1,250 passengers per hour during peak season.
An apron, providing parking space for a minimum of four aircraft, is scheduled to open by 2020, with capacity increasing to seven aircraft by 2030.