Vietnam Airlines setting out huge goals

Vietnam Airlines setting out huge goals

A constantly evolving fleet

At the time of establishment in 1995, there were only 25 planes in VNA’s aircraft fleet. With small scale, almost exclusively containing narrow-body planes from the Soviet Union, there were only 25 international flights to 19 cities and capitals. Domestic flights connected 15 cities and provinces.

In order to maintain their market-leading position, VNA has implemented significant developments in the past 22 years. By November 2017, VNA expanded the size of fleet to 93 planes (from 38 ones in 2005) with two types of wide-body planes, a Boeing 787 and Airbus 350, to maintain market-leading services and the nation’s prestige.

VNA always chooses the most modern planes to innovate its aircraft fleet, enhance performance, expand its flight network, and improve service quality. Since April 2003, despite the multitude of economic difficulties facing Vietnam, VNA was one of the few regional airlines to purchase and use the first Boeing 777 of the 777-200ER line.

The operation of the Boeing 777 fleet has gone along with important milestones in middle, far, and cross-continent strategic flights development, including direct flights to Europe, connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Paris (France) in 2003, to Russia (2004), Germany (2005), and the UK (2011).

In 2015, VNA officially became the first airline in the Asia-Pacific to purchase and use the most modern aircrafts, the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. After two years, VNA is evaluated as one of the most successful airlines in utilising these plane types, relying almost exclusively on Vietnamese pilots, flight attendants, and technical staff.

Flying ahead of competition

Up to date, VNA’s fleet has carried out over 1.6 million safe flights with a total distance of nearly one billion kilometres, equivalent to more than 20,000 journeys around the Earth. The corporation’s flight network has risen to 90 destinations, including 38 domestic and 52 international ones.

VNA is a rare airline that has never suffered financial loss during its 22 years of operation, although many airlines over the world have seen big fluctuations. In the past few years, VNA’s financial indicators have exceeded company targets by a significant margin, especially after equitisation.

In 2016, the corporation’s consolidated profit was $114.3 million, including $74.74 million from the parent company. The impressive business performance during the first nine months of 2017 resulted in a consolidated profit of over $101 million, exceeding the annual target by 40 per cent.

In early December, VNA will serve the 200 millionth guest.

This is the clearest evidence to confirm that VNA has completed the tasks of a national airline with flying colours, linking the country’s provinces through domestic flights and Vietnam with the world through international flights, while maintaining rigorous safety standards on its fleet.

In the previous month, VNA was awarded the prestigious “CAPA Asia-Pacific Airline of the Year” award by the Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation (CAPA). This award was given to the most notable airline with the heaviest impacts to the development of regional aviation, confirming the first-ranking position of VNA and becoming standards for the general aviation sector.

“Despite competitive pressure in the domestic market, VNA has emerged as a successful and fast-growing airline. VNA’s dual brand strategy, along with Jetstar Pacific and diversified international strategic relations, has raised its position, significantly contributing to the successful equitisation and high profit,” said Peter Harbison, president of CAPA.

By Anh Minh

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