Air Transport

Vietnam's Pacific Airlines has resolved its dispute with Vietnam Air Petrol after intervention from the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV).

On 1 April, Vietnam Air Petrol reportedly increased jet fuel prices by 26 percent to750,000 Vietnamese dong ($47) a tonne. Pacific refused to pay the extra on that day and the oil company refused to refuel the carrier’s aircraft, leading to flight delays.

At a press briefing today in Ho Chi Minh City, the airline's CEO Luong Hoai Nam says that “the problems have been resolved and timely actions were adopted by the CAAV”.

© Pacific Airlines

“We hope this is a one-off occurrence and will not happen in future. I don't wish to comment further,” he adds.

Vietnamese press journalists also asked for a response to consumer complaints that Pacific has too many flight delays. Nam says that “there are internal elements that can be controlled, but there are other factors outside our control like infrastructure”. “The press has been quick to note there is a mismatch between the fast growing airlines and slow growth in (airport) infrastructure.”

He adds that there has to be better co-ordination between airlines and those operating the ground infrastructure, and that the CAAV is aware of the problem.

Pacific today announced that it would change its name to Jetstar Pacific from next month and be marketed under the Jetstar brand. Jetstar is the low cost carrier of Australia’s Qantas Airways, which owns 18 per cent of Pacific and plans to increase its stake to 30 percent in 2010.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news