HÀ NỘI — The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has issued an urgent directive to domestic airlines to promptly address the ongoing aircraft shortage and implement flexible pricing strategies. Lê Hồng Hà, Director-General of the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA), said VNA had grounded 11 aircraft due to the recall and expects to ground another six by the end of this year. The lengthy repair and maintenance process, taking between 250 to 300 days, means VNA's aircraft shortage is projected to persist throughout 2024 and gradually ease by mid-2025. To mitigate the impact of the shortage, CAAV has instructed the airlines to seek and secure replacement aircraft from leasing partners worldwide to fill the void left by grounded aircraft. Before the directive, CAAV conducted inspections to assess the pricing practices of four airlines and six travel agencies.
