Flight delay and cancellation rates increase, which airline is the champion?

(Dan Tri) - Flight delays and cancellations lasting for hours leave passengers stranded at the airport, even missing important work... A National Assembly delegate has just proposed that there must be regulations on appropriate compensation levels.

According to data from the Civil Aviation Authority, in the past 9 months, the total transport output of the market is estimated at 64.1 million passengers and 1.1 million tons of cargo, an increase of 10.7% in passengers and 18.7% in cargo, respectively, compared to the same period in 2024.

For Vietnamese airlines alone, the total transport volume is estimated at 43.7 million passengers and 343,300 tons of cargo, an increase of 8.2% in passengers and 5.6% in cargo, respectively, compared to the same period in 2024.

The aviation industry has entered a period of "hot" growth, bringing with it many problems that need to be solved, including flight delays and cancellations that affect customers.

Flight delay rates of all airlines are increasing.

According to statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, over the past 7 months, the average on-time flight rate of the whole industry decreased by 11 percentage points compared to the same period last year, reaching 62.7%.

Among domestic airlines, Bamboo Airways leads in average punctuality, with 80.1% of flights on time, 17.4 percentage points higher than the industry average. Bamboo Airways is also the only airline to maintain an on-time rate of over 80% over the past 7 months.

Pacific Airlines and VASCO recorded on-time flight rates of 79.2% and 79.1%, respectively.

Vietnam Airlines achieved an on-time rate of 70% in the past 7 months, while Vietravel Airlines achieved 68.5%. Vietjet Air continued to have an on-time rate of 51.6%.

Cancellation rates also increased

Regarding the cancellation rate, in 7 months, the entire domestic aviation industry recorded 1,097 canceled flights, equivalent to a rate of 0.7% - an increase of 0.3 percentage points over the same period last year.

Bamboo Airways had the fewest cancellations, with only 0.1% of flights canceled. Vietjet Air also recorded a cancellation rate lower than the industry average, with 0.6% of flights canceled.

Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines and Vietravel Airlines recorded cancellation rates of 0.8%, 0.9% and 1.2% respectively. The airline with the most cancellations in the past 7 months was VASCO with 1.4% of flights canceled.

While domestic and international travel demand increases, the rate of flight delays and cancellations also increases sharply due to bad weather, technical problems...

Explaining the situation of flight delays and cancellations, Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh at the recent National Assembly session said the main reason is that airport infrastructure does not meet international standards.

For example, at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports, the runway system has not yet met the standard distance (minimum 1,350m between the runway and landing strip). The Minister also informed that the Long Thanh airport under construction has overcome this situation, meeting international standards, in a modern direction.

However, in reality, the "delay" situation can last for hours or half a day, causing many passengers to be stuck at the airport, even causing some to miss important work, making public opinion still angry.

This issue was also discussed by the National Assembly in the group on the draft revised Law on Civil Aviation of Vietnam on October 22.

Air carriers must be held “accountable”

Delegate Tran Cong Phan (HCMC delegation) raised the issue of the responsibility of airlines towards passengers, especially with regard to flight delays.

According to the delegate, there is a transport contract between passengers and airlines, the airline must ensure the flight is on the correct route and on time. However, currently, flight delays and postponements are quite common. Delays of 1-2 hours, even half a day, seem to have become normal, while passengers only receive a simple "apology" or notice "for operational reasons".

According to him, such an explanation is not appropriate. If the reason is weather or objective factors, it is acceptable; but "operational reasons" are subjective reasons of the airline, meaning the airline did not fulfill its transportation commitment," the delegate said, emphasizing that in that case, passengers have the right to be protected.

Specifically, delegate Tran Cong Phan said it is necessary to clarify regulations on the responsibilities and commitments of carriers, especially on how to notify, compensate and handle delays and postponements.

According to delegates, for many people, especially National Assembly delegates or officials on business trips, being late for a few hours or half a day can greatly affect the entire program and common work plan.

Sharing the same opinion, delegate Le Huu Tri (Khanh Hoa delegation) said that the "delay" situation happens too often, the delay time is longer than the departure time, showing that "discipline in aviation is not strict".

According to delegates, this not only causes inconvenience, wastes time and money for passengers and society, but also affects the national image.

Therefore, Mr. Tri proposed that this amendment to the Law on Civil Aviation of Vietnam needs to have specific regulations to overcome the lack of discipline in the industry.

Delegates emphasized the need to encourage and expand participation of non-state entities, including foreign ones, in aviation activities.

A child fell asleep in the airport waiting area while waiting for relatives to check in (Photo: Hai Long).

There should be clear regulations on compensation levels in cases of flight delays and cancellations.

Sharing the same view, delegate Dang Thi My Huong - Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Khanh Hoa Province - proposed to legalize regulations on passenger rights and improve the quality of aviation services. "Protecting passengers is protecting national prestige and enhancing Vietnam's image," Ms. Huong stated her opinion.

From there, delegates proposed to clearly define the right to information, support, and compensation in cases of flight delays, cancellations, and lost luggage. In addition, it is also necessary to legislate the responsibility to publicly disclose ticket prices, surcharges, and refund conditions, avoiding "hidden fees" that affect customers' rights.

Delegate Tran Dinh Chung (Da Nang delegation) also agreed with the need to legalize compensation for customers in cases of flight delays and cancellations.

According to Mr. Chung, it is necessary to clearly stipulate compensation for customers in cases of flight delays or missed flights that are not due to the customer's fault, not due to force majeure (natural disasters, epidemics), but due to the fault of the aircraft manager and operator.

"Notification of flight delays due to late arrival of aircraft, operational reasons... are not the fault of the customer but the fault of the unit managing and using the aircraft. There should be clear and transparent regulations in compensation for customers," Mr. Chung suggested.

In more detail, the delegate proposed that there should be clear regulations in the circulars and decrees guiding the Law on Civil Aviation of Vietnam on how much time must be compensated for the delay and how to compensate...

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/ty-le-cham-huy-chuyen-tang-hang-bay-nao-chiem-ngoi-vi-quan-quan-20251023092801754.htm