At the business performance review meeting on 15/7, Le Hong Ha, CEO of Vietnam Airlines, assessed that the last 6 months of the year are crucial for the airline to achieve many of its development goals. They project 81,000 flights, carrying 13.1 million passengers, generating 46,200 billion VND in revenue, exceeding the yearly plan.

Le Hong Ha – CEO of Vietnam Airlines. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

Le Hong Ha – CEO of Vietnam Airlines. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

To realize this objective, the airline has outlined several solution groups: enhancing operational efficiency and optimizing cash flow; ensuring safe and efficient operations; providing attentive service for special flights; implementing key investment projects at Long Thanh; developing the freighter project; improving the on-time performance (OTP) rate; accelerating digital transformation; and training high-quality human resources.

However, the airline also faces several challenges: unclear US tariff policies, increased competition on Middle East–Europe routes, potential decline in demand from some key markets due to visa policies, serious aviation accidents, and pressure from overloaded aviation infrastructure.

In the first 6 months of the year, Vietnam Airlines operated nearly 78,000 flights, transporting 12.6 million passengers and over 165,000 tons of cargo, exceeding the plan and growing by 11%, 13%, and 15% respectively, year-on-year. The parent company's business performance reached 5,750 billion VND, surpassing the plan by 2,700 billion VND. "This is a new record in Vietnam Airlines' air transport operations," Le Hong Ha stated.

One highlight is the expansion of the international flight network. As of 1/7, Vietnam Airlines operated 69 routes to 37 destinations in 21 countries, including strategic markets like Italy, Russia, China, India, Japan, and South Korea.

In addition, the effective management results of the entire system, especially in two important indicators, revenue per available seat kilometer (RASK) and cost per available seat kilometer (CASK), are also hallmarks of the airline. "We have managed RASK and CASK well, demonstrating that the cost-saving solutions are effective and need to be maintained for the next phase," he added.

Regarding operational quality, the airline's aircraft readiness level (ARL) reached 95.72%, with domestic satisfaction at 4.2 and international at 4.1. Service for chartered and special flights was implemented thoughtfully, respectfully, and with absolute safety.

Vietnam Airlines' efforts in the first half of the year have been recognized with international awards such as: "Top 20 best airlines in the world," "Top 25 safest airlines in the world," "Best premium economy airline," "5-star world airline" by APEX, "Top 10 best airlines in Asia," and "Top 10 airlines with the best seats" by DestinAsia magazine. Notably, the airline was ranked 86th out of 500 in the Fortune Southeast Asia 500 list for 2025.

Yen Chi