Airlines fear more delays, high fares as Vietnam' airports under upgrade

Airlines and aviation experts worry that the existing upgrade of Vietnam's Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat international airports will result in more flight delays and higher airfares, local media reported on Tuesday.

The eight-month repair and upgrade process at Noi Bai aerodrome in Hanoi capital will not end until March 2018, while the expansion works at Tan San Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City has entered its second phase with one of its runways set for temporary shutdown.

"That runway will be closed between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m. during the upgrade process, so all airlines will need to reschedule services with early morning departure times," daily newspaper Tuoi Tre (Youth) quoted a representative from local airline Jetstar Pacific as saying.

According to local aviation expert Nguyen Thien Tong, to make up overrun costs, airlines may have to lift ticket prices.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)