Page 10 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2022 Online Magazine

INTERVIEW

ON THE PATH TO RECOVERY

demand in SoutheastAsian countries after opening to
international visitors?

Michael Nguyen: It’s encouraging to see governments in
Southeast Asia announce timelines to ease pandemic restric-
tions, normalize life with Covid-19 and revive their economies.
In this region, over 40 million people are employed in the travel
and tourism industry alone and it represents almost 25 per cent
of some countries’ pre-pandemic GDP. We’re increasingly seeing
the flying public and governments have confidence in health
and safety during air travel and this is helping with passenger
air traffic rebound in Southeast Asia.

AAA: What steps do you think should be taken to help
increase air travel?
MICHAEL VU NGUYEN Nguyen: Increased international collaboration is key to recov-
DIRECTOR, BOEING VIETNAM ery. Measures such as vaccinated travel lanes and recognition
of foreign Covid-19 vaccine certifications are facilitating travel
recovery. We believe that if governments can get together and
After the unprecedented COVID-19 shock, the provide a simplified, easy and coordinated way to transit borders
aviation industry in Vietnam is in the stage based on data-driven analysis and clearly communicate policies
of revival. In particular, the industry grew by to travellers, you will see travel increase.
441 per cent in the first quarter of 2022, com-
pared to the same period of 2021, while the AAA: What are the growth drivers in Southeast Asia?
number of domestic passengers decreased
significantly. “Increased international collab- Nguyen: South East Asia is one of the fastest-growing markets
oration is key to recovery,” says Michael Vu in the world with an aggregate aviation growth forecast of 5.5
Nguyen, Director, Boeing Vietnam. per cent annually outpacing China, Africa, and Latin America.
This is driven by increased growth in production, GDP, and there-
“We believe that if governments can get fore increased middle-class households. Additionally, healthy
together and provide a simplified, easy and regional relationships spark economic and aviation growth
coordinated way to transit borders based through the continued ASEAN Open Sky agreement and pro-
on data-driven analysis and clearly com- motion of leisure markets. Strong traffic growth will increase
municate policies to travellers, you will see the aviation fleet by four times over the next 20 years. Also,
travel increase,” Nguyen tells Jay Menon of aviation is a high growth market driving year over year growth
Asian Airlines and Aerospace (AAA) in annually, the fundamentals to travel including visiting friends
an interview: and relatives, business traffic, and leisure travel remain strong.
Because of this, the 20-year forecast for new delivery airplanes

Excerpts: to the South East Asia region is in excess of 4400 aircraft valued
at over $800 billion USD.
AAA: What positive signs do you see AAA: The tourism industry will need about 3-6 months to
about the return of travel and tourism prepare for inbound tourists after a long time of border

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