Proposed air route saves on time and fuel

The "golden route" is purple. If it is launched, planes will be flying between the capital and HCM City over Laos and Cambodia, rather than over the ocean, following Viet Nam's S-shaped coastline. — Photo thesaigontimes.vn

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Aviation companies can save on flying time and fuel if they are allowed to take the proposed Ha Noi-HCM City air route crossing the airspace of Laos and Cambodia.

However, the governments of Laos and Cambodia are charging transit fees for flights passing through their airspace which aviation companies find to be too high. Lai Xuan Thanh, director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (CAAV), told thesaigontimes.vn that Laos and Cambodia were currently reviewing Viet Nam's proposal to have the fees cut by 50 per cent.

The CAAV recently reported the results of flight simulator (SIM) tests, which it carried out with the help of Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air, on the proposed route from Noi Bai Airport in the capital city to Tan Son Nhat Airport in HCM City on September 3 and 4.

The tests showed that the route was 1,191 km, or 85 km shorter than the usual route that aviation companies were taking over the ocean. The flight takes only 103 minutes, a savings of five minutes of airtime, and consumes only 4,140 kilos of fuel, a savings of 190 kilos.

Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang earlier ordered the launching of the proposed route at the soonest possible time, to shorten flights between Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports and save on time and fuel.

The CAAV director said Laos and Cambodia were planning to charge a transit fee of US$622 for each A320 plane passing over their airspace. Laos will also be charging $225 for each A321 plane and $330 for each B777/330 plane. Cambodia will be charging $412 for each A321 plane and $486 for each B777/330 plane.

Former pilot Mai Trong Tuan proposed the route, called the "golden route," in March 2009. If the route is finally launched, planes will be flying between the capital and HCM City over Laos and Cambodia, rather than over the ocean, following Viet Nam's S-shaped coastline. — VNS