12 Vietnam Airlines A321s will stop flying for maintenance

According to CEO Le Hong Ha, the supply chain disruption caused 12 A321 aircraft, or 20% of the main fleet for domestic routes, to stop flying.

Speaking on the sidelines of the International Aviation Conference (IAS) on February 28, the CEO of Vietnam Airlines said that one of the biggest challenges facing the aviation industry today is the broken supply chain, causing a shortage of components and equipment for aircraft.

According to Mr. Ha, currently, more than 3,500 aircraft worldwide are affected by problems related to Pratt & Whitney engines used on A321/A320neo aircraft. Vietnam Airlines has 24 of these engines, equivalent to 12 A321 aircraft that have to be put into maintenance. This reduces the operating capacity of the airline's narrow-body fleet by up to 20%. In addition, Vietnam Airlines' Airbus A350 aircraft engines are also affected.

Vietnam Airlines CEO Le Hong Ha answers questions on the sidelines of the International Aviation Conference (IAS) on February 28. Photo: Anh Tu — Vietnam Airlines CEO Le Hong Ha answers questions on the sidelines of the International Aviation Conference (IAS) on February 28. Photo: *Anh Tu*

Vietnam Airlines CEO said that in the past, an engine only needed 100-120 days for maintenance, but now it can take up to 250-300 days due to supply chain disruptions. This situation requires Vietnam Airlines to increase the operating capacity of the remaining aircraft to maintain supply capacity and serve market demand.

In addition to Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet 's fleet may also be affected by the Pratt & Whitney engine problem, but the airline has not released detailed figures.

Lack of aircraft and reduced supply are also among the reasons why domestic airfares have become expensive in recent times. Many flights before and after Tet are sold out, but the number of passengers in the domestic aviation market during this peak season is still down 13% compared to the same period in 2023.

When asked about the forecast for domestic airfares this year, Mr. Ha said it was "very difficult to make a specific assessment" because it depends on market demand. However, according to this CEO, this year's domestic airfares may remain the same as last year without any major changes.

Since last year, domestic airfares have been consistently high, especially during peak periods such as summer, the end of the year, and most recently the Lunar New Year. Even from March 1, the ceiling price for domestic airfares will be adjusted upwards.

Of which, the flight route from 1,000 km to under 1,280 km has a new ceiling price of 3.4 million, an increase of 200,000 VND compared to the current price. The flight route from 1,280 km or more such as Hanoi - Phu Quoc has a new ceiling price of 4 million, an increase of 250,000 VND.

Vietnam Airlines CEO assessed that the 5% increase in airfare ceiling from March 1 is an opportunity for airlines to upgrade service quality for customers with higher spending ability. At the same time, it also helps businesses offer more affordable prices for customers with lower spending ability or during off-peak periods.

This is also the first time the ceiling price of air tickets has been adjusted after 10 years when all input costs of airlines have changed, increasing very high in recent years. According to Mr. Ha, Vietnam is one of the few countries that still controls the ceiling price of air tickets, so in the future, it will aim to let the market compete and self-regulate.

However, many travel companies are concerned that the new price ceiling will cause domestic airfares to increase during peak seasons, causing difficulties for businesses and customers.

Regarding this opinion, the CEO of Vietnam Airlines said that the aviation industry only has peak periods in the summer and Tet to compensate for the low season. Vietnam Airlines will try to have good price policies for this summer.

Mr. Tu

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