Air Mekong outlines expansion

Air Mekong, Vietnam’ newest domestic airline that started services last October, plans to expand its network to 40 routes and possibly adding regional services in 2012.

Currently, the airline operates flights to and from nine destinations on 13 routes focusing mainly on the southern region of the country. It owns a fleet of four 90-seat Bombardier CRJ 900 aircraft leased from Australian SkyWest Airlines.

Air Mekong commercial and service director, Truong Thanh Vu, told TTR Weekly at ITE HCMC 2011, Wednesday, that the long-term plan was to expand domestic routes to 40 to link secondary destinations that are not served by the competition.

“So far, this strategy has worked. The only trunk route we fly is Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City with just two to three flights daily…On the routes that are also served by Vietnam Airlines, we can compete well as our schedule is more convenient.

‘We target towns where Vietnam Airlines operates a small ATR72 as our aircraft is more convenient for passengers,” he said.

The carrier is preparing to launch a three weekly service between Vinh, a beach destination in Nghe An province about 300 km south of Hanoi and Buon Me Thout in Dak Lak Province in the central highlands about 380 km north of HCMC, famous as the regional “capital of coffee”, also a useful base for treks to nearby Yok Don National Park.

The airline is waiting for approval to commence services in November to Dalat in the southern central highlands and Phu Quoc, the country’s largest island resort in the Gulf of Thailand, close to the Cambodian border.

On 6 September, the airline began an island link from the capital city Hanoi to Con Dao archipelago with a fuel stop in Ho Chi Minh City before continuing another 230 km to the island.

Mr Truong Thanh Vu said next year Air Mekong hopes to secure two to three Bombardier aircraft to add to the fleet.

As for regional operations, he said the carrier might start services in 2012 to destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, China and Taiwan. The services will link niche market destinations in those countries.

Possibles are Hanoi to Chiang Mai and Dalat to Siem Reap.

Mr Truong Thanh Vu said the airline right now is focusing more on the  central and southern regions of Vietnam.

“In the north, there are very few potential destinations. Beside Hanoi, another city is Hai Phong but there are already many flights. Flights are abundant also to Danang in the central coastal area.”

Source - ttrweekly