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In the near future, the distinct fan-blade ATR-72 aircraft may vanish from the Vietnamese skies. Vietnam Airlines is strategizing to replace this aircraft type with jet engines, expected by 2023.At the Routes Asia 2022 conference in Da Nang, Vietnam Airlines announced its quest for small-sized regional jet aircraft to replace the ATR-72 next year. CEO of Vietnam Airlines, Mr. Le Hong Ha, disclosed that this plan is likely to unfold by the end of 2023, coinciding with the upgrades and compliance of Con Dao Airport (VCS) and Dien Bien Airport (DIN) to accommodate A320 or equivalent aircraft.However, Vietnam Airlines has not yet decided which aircraft will replace the ATR-72. The airline is currently in discussions with aircraft manufacturers and leasing companies to find a suitable aircraft for operations at airports with short runways in Vietnam. The Airbus A220 and Embraer E190/E195 are potential candidates to replace the ATR-72.
Currently, the regional jet market is very dynamic as small jet aircraft under 100 seats are efficiently operating short-haul flights in the region. Bombardier and Embraer are two well-known names in the regional jet market. Bombardier's CRJ100/200 series has sold over 1000 units since its introduction in 1992, while Embraer is famous for its E-Jet series, with over 1400 units produced since 2004. This is also a segment that the two giants, Boeing and Airbus, are targeting. The Airbus A220 is actually designed based on the Bombardier CSeries (CS100 and CS300) to directly compete with the Embraer E-Jet E2 and the Boeing 737 MAX 7 - the smallest variant of the 737 MAX series. The A220 has two variants, A220-100 and A220-300, with maximum seating capacities of 120 and 150 passengers respectively in a single-class configuration. The A220 has a range of approximately 6400 - 6600 km and requires a maximum runway length of 1.9 km for takeoff/landing.
Meanwhile, for Embraer, to operate niche flights to Con Dao, Rach Gia, Dien Bien, Ca Mau, the airline received Embraer E190 aircraft last year and plans to expand its Embraer fleet to 10 aircraft this year. The E190 can carry up to 114 passengers with a single-class configuration. Bamboo Airways states that the airline reconfigured the seats with 6 business class seats and 92 economy class seats to provide spacious, easy-to-move, and comfortable accommodations for passengers.Vietnam Airlines Group, the parent company of three airlines (Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, and VASCO), has ambitious plans for the upcoming months as travel demand is expected to surge during this summer vacation. The group estimates that between June 1st and August 15th, its member airlines will operate over 36,000 flights, catering to the travel needs of 7.1 million passengers on domestic and international routes.
In addition to existing domestic and international routes, India emerges as a potential destination. During the pandemic, Vietnam Airlines operated cargo flights twice a week between Hanoi (HAN) and New Delhi (DEL), as well as a weekly flight between Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) and New Delhi. On June 15th, Vietnam Airlines announced the launch of direct passenger flights to India. Hanoi - New Delhi will operate three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while Ho Chi Minh City - New Delhi will have two weekly flights on Thursdays and Saturdays. Kolkata and Mumbai are also identified as potential destinations, and if the flights to New Delhi meet the desired passenger demand, Vietnam Airlines may expand operations to these two cities.Plans for fleet renewal and expanding the route network come as the national carrier of Vietnam strives to recover from the pandemic. Before COVID, Vietnam Airlines was one of the fastest-growing Asian airlines, operating 61 routes to 33 destinations in 18 countries. Its international route network extended across Asia, Europe, and Australia, along with codeshare agreements for two North American destinations. Despite facing nine consecutive quarters of losses, the airline's revenue is rebounding, with Q1 this year witnessing the highest revenue in the past two years, reaching $500 million, a 55% increase compared to the same period last year.Source: Simple Flying
