Indochina Airlines wants to fly again

Managing director of Indochina Airlines Le Hong Pho has, once again, affirmed the airline’s determination to resume commercial flights.

According to Pho, the air carrier has been strictly obeying the requirements by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) on refunding money for returned air tickets, considering the flight schedule and ensuring passengers’ interests. The air carrier has also been keeping CAAV updated as regards its actions.

“We are still in operation and we will resume flights as soon as shareholders add more capital as they have promised,” Pho said

The high ranking executive said that it is quite normal for an airline to see its transport rights revoked. However, Indochina Airlines will not stop flying just because of temporary difficulties.

Meanwhile, officials of CAAV have said that reports submitted by the airlines all show a determination to resume flights. Therefore, CAAV has not made any proposal to revoke the operational license of the airline.

Meanwhile, Vo Huy Cuong, head of the Air Transport Division under CAAV said that the Ministry of Transport and CAAV both have been trying to create more favorable conditions for all enterprises to operate and provide flights.

The biggest problem now for Indochina Airlines is to arrange enough capital to pay debts to partners – the service providers. To date, the air carrier owed 30 billion dong to partners, including a debt of 20 billion dong to Vinapco.

Indochina Airlines on January 28, 2010 sent a report to CAAV, informing them that the airline had stopped trade promotion activities since October 31, 2009, and that the airline was still to refund cash for 1,200 tickets. On January 28, 2010 alone, the airline refunded money to 200 passengers worth 270 million dong.

In the dispatch, the air carrier outlined three official addresses for passengers to contact for inquiries. In the north, passengers can contact Duong Xuan Phuong at No 63 Ly Thuong Kiet Street in Hanoi. In the central region, the right contact is Mrs Pham Thi Hoa Binh at No 61 Nguyen Van Linh Street in Da Nang City. In the south, Bui Nam Quan at Kico Trans Building No 5 Dong Da Street in Tan Binh District in HCM City is available to answer inquiries.

Joining the market at a time when the aviation market is at its most difficult period due to the economic downturn and lower travel demand, Indochina Airlines has face many difficulties. The difficulties have been so big that the airline had to stop flying on the HCM City-Da Nang route and maintained only one aircraft. To date, the airline has had the transport rights revoked four times, but it still states its determination to resume flights.

VietNamNet, VNE

Tags: Indochina Airlines, Vietnam aviation