Expectations for tourism development in many potential regions thanks to short-haul flights

(Dan Tri) - Many routes from Dak Lak, Ca Mau, Quang Binh, Gia Lai, Hue, Quang Tri... are considered potential if Vietnam develops short-haul aircraft, opening up opportunities for economic and tourism development.

The above information is stated in the in-depth report "Give wings to short-haul air transport activities in Vietnam" published in Hanoi on the afternoon of March 12.

The report points out Vietnam's development opportunities, as short-haul aviation offers new and more convenient travel options, taking advantage of existing transport infrastructure.

Mr. Jean-Pierre Clercin, Director of Asia-Pacific Region, of the world's leading short-haul aircraft manufacturer ATR, said that short-haul airlines operate small aircraft with less than 80 seats on routes under 550km, flights under 1 hour.

Short-haul air transport in Vietnam is almost undeveloped. Currently, in Vietnam, most routes under 550km are not exploited or are exploited by large aircraft.

Large aircraft are designed to fly efficiently on long routes, and therefore do not achieve maximum performance on short routes.

Mr. Jean-Pierre Clercin shared about the potential for developing short-haul aircraft in Vietnam (Photo: H. A).

The short-haul air transport market has great potential for growth in Vietnam. Short-haul aviation complements road transport, improving mobility, strengthening the network of smaller cities and ensuring that more localities benefit from economic growth.

In addition, short-haul aviation also helps optimize the use of existing short-haul airports.

According to Mr. Jean-Pierre Clercin, currently 90% of Vietnam's domestic flight traffic is concentrated at only 10 out of 22 airports nationwide, many local airports are not being exploited at full capacity. 25% of domestic routes are under 550km, meaning that Vietnam has many short routes.

Domestic air transport in Vietnam is forecast to grow by over 20% in the 2023-2027 period, bringing the number of flights per capita close to that of neighboring countries.

Short-haul air transport will bring people better options, new routes can connect localities that are not well connected, increase the frequency of low-traffic routes, such as Van Don - Dong Hoi, Buon Ma Thuot - Ca Mau, Dien Bien - Van Don, Cat Bi - Phu Bai, Sa Pa - Van Don...

A study by the Transport Design Consulting Corporation TEDI has identified 149 domestic routes within a range of 300 nautical miles (equivalent to 555km).

The results showed that 87 of these routes have high traffic potential but are still untapped and would require a fleet of 25 ATR 72-600 aircraft to operate these routes.

The report also provides a clear roadmap for airlines and policy makers to strategically develop short-haul air services and capitalize on this potential market opportunity.

According to the master plan for the development of the national airport system in the 2021-2030 period, it is expected that in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, each place will have a dedicated domestic airport.

If calculated from these two domestic airports, half of Vietnam's airports will be within a range of 550km, suitable for short-haul flights.

Mr. Hoang Hanh, TEDI's professional department, said that out of 87 potential routes, there are 19 routes with a capacity of over 100,000 passengers/year, 19 routes with a capacity of 50,000 to 100,000 passengers/year...

These routes are to localities that are not yet connected by air, with airports that have not yet been fully exploited such as Dak Lak, Thanh Hoa, Ca Mau, Quang Binh, Gia Lai, Hue, Quang Tri, etc.

The report also found that short-haul aviation would have a major economic and social impact. A 10% increase in short-haul flights would boost local tourism by 5%, local GDP by 6% and foreign direct investment by 8%.

ATR's success in the Japanese and New Zealand markets is a testament to the ability of short-haul air transport to promote connectivity and economic growth.

World Coffee Museum in Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak (Photo: TN).

Short-haul aviation is expected by research units to bring additional convenient and modern means of travel between small cities in Vietnam.

ATR turboprop aircraft - the type used by short-haul airlines - consume 45% less fuel and emit 45% less CO2 than similarly sized short-haul jets.

Higher flight frequency due to the convenient arrangement of less than 80 seats, passengers can fly any day of the week, or go on business trips in the morning and return home in the evening.

Propeller aircraft that consume less fuel are expected to bring good prices for passengers when traveling to localities, especially localities with a lot of potential but little connection.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/ky-vong-phat-trien-du-lich-nhieu-vung-tiem-nang-nho-may-bay-chang-ngan-20250313115904262.htm