Deputy Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, Do Hong Cam, said that Vietnamese airlines are facing a risk of aviation fuel shortages. In response to this situation, Vietnam Airlines plans to temporarily suspend operations on a number of routes from April 1, including Hai Phong – Buon Ma Thuot, Hai Phong – Cam Ranh, Hai Phong – Phu Quoc, Hai Phong – Can Tho, Ho Chi Minh City – Van Don, Ho Chi Minh City – Rach Gia, and Ho Chi Minh City – Dien Bien. A total of 23 flights per week will be canceled on these routes.
At present, Vietnamese airlines are developing plans to apply fuel surcharges on international routes, which may be implemented from early April.
Earlier, a survey conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam involving nearly 40 international and regional airlines showed that more than 60 percent of carriers have already, are currently, or are planning to increase fuel surcharges or adjust airfares upward from mid-March.
Specifically, some airlines do not separate fuel surcharges but instead incorporate them directly into the base fare, with common increases ranging from 5 percent to 20 percent depending on routes and service classes, including carriers such as Air France, Thai Airways, and United Airlines.
Some airlines apply fuel surcharges as a separate add-on to the base fare, with adjustments made flexibly in line with fuel price fluctuations. Carriers such as Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air, All Nippon Airways, and China Southern Airlines have implemented or increased such surcharges, with levels ranging from approximately VND130,000 (US$4.93) to over VND10 million (US$379.5) per ticket, depending on flight distance and service class.
For air cargo transport, some airlines, including Lufthansa and Korean Air, apply fuel surcharges at around VND17,000 (US$0.64) – VND40,000 (US$1.51) per kilogram.
