Vietnam Airlines and VietJet Air have been asked to try an air route
between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City over Laotian and Cambodian airspace
from August 29 to September 3.
According to recent
correspondence between the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV)
and the carriers, Vietnam Airlines will use a flight simulator (SIM) for
their A321 and B777 aircraft, while VietJet Air will run the simulation
on its A320 planes.
This move is part of ongoing
efforts following Transport Minister Dinh La Thang’s instruction to
launch the route as soon as possible, expecting it to shorten flights
between Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports, thus saving fuel.
The CAAV also asked Vietnam Airlines and VietJet Air to coordinate their plans to implement the pilot SIM of the route.
The airlines will submit a report to CAAV by September 5, analysing
the results of the flight simulation experiment, evaluating the
potential costs for customers, and comparing the proposed new route with
the current one.
In March 2009, the CAAV received a proposal for the Hanoi-HCM City “golden air route” from former pilot Mai Trong Tuan.
The proposed air route would mean flights between the capital and the
southern economic hub will fly over Laotian and Cambodian airspace,
rather than over the ocean, following Vietnam’s “S” shaped coastline.
Some experts think the new route could shorten flights
by 26 minutes, whilst the CAAV and Vietnam Airlines estimate time
savings of around 5-7 minutes.
Previously, the
Ministry of Transport had submitted a proposal to the Government on
conducting further research on the route, also known as the “golden air
route”.-VNA