The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said the route would cater for return flights between Hanoi and HCM City, allowing single way traffic to each destination.
The new air path linking Hanoi and HCM City (the red lines)
Previously, all flights from Hanoi to HCM City operated on a congested two-way flight route. So, the new route is expected to optimise airspace for flights to help save fuel and travel time, and avoid the risk of collision. It should also help ease the workload for air traffic controllers.
The demand for flights between the two cities has continued to expand. Three local carriers, Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet and Jetstar, schedule around 90 flights between the cities every day.
The north-south air path is ranked among the busiest in the world with nearly 700 flights per day. It would be busier in the coming time as domestic air traffic is predicted to grow by 8-10 per cent every year and Vietnam is attempting to become a more important gateway to the Asia-Pacific, where air traffic is forecasted to see a three-fold increase over the next 14 years.
