Page 11 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2022 Online Magazine
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closure. In which country in Southeast measures for regional travel.
Asia do you think this preparation is Governments around the world agree with these goals. Now is
going well -- especially how do you see the time for countries to work through international organiza-
it in Vietnam? tions to implement specific data-driven, risk-based approaches
to health crisis management in the air transport sector. ICAO
Nguyen: Southeast Asian countries includ- has already aggregated best practices and provided guidance
ing Vietnam are taking positive steps toward on its Covid-19 Response and Recovery Platform, which countries
opening borders and resuming pre-pandemic should use as the foundation for these coordinated policies.
activities. Healthy and safe travel requires
multiple layers of protection. Effective AAA: Please detail some specific challenges for Vietnam
cleaning, advanced air filtration and other in the aviation and tourism industries.
safeguards can help ensure the health and
safety of every person who steps onboard Nguyen: Vietnam is amongst SE Asia’s fastest-growing markets.
an airplane. Airport infrastructure challenges due to market pair saturation
Data-driven testing protocols on the ground and airspace congestion could impact this growth. Over the
past five years Vietnam’s population has grown by about 6 per
can help reduce Covid-19 prevalence just cent while the growth in air passenger capacity or supply has
as well as, if not better than quarantines. doubled and through the end of the decade in 2030 forecasts
Governments in the region are also taking a predict passenger demand to grow by nearly a factor of 2 with
proactive data-driven, risk- based approach to 6.2 per cent annual growth from 2019 traffic levels.
minimize disease transmission risks between
countries. We are constantly talking to our AAA: What do you expect from the potential of the avi-
airline customers and government partners ation and tourism market in Southeast Asia, especially
in Vietnam to provide timely guidance, and
share data, information and analysis to help Vietnam in 2022?
inform decisions on safe, efficient travel. Nguyen: Southeast Asia’s fundamental growth drivers remain
AAA: What will make Vietnam’s tour- robust. With an expanding middle-class and growth in private
ism and aviation achieve the same consumption, the region’s economy has grown by nearly 70 per
cent over the last decade, which increases the propensity to
rapid growth as before the pandemic? travel. The region is also placed with more room for expansion
What would possibly be the challenges because of an emerging middle class, which could be 60 million
to this? new passengers in the next 15 years.
Nguyen: While Covid-19 caused far-reaching Travel and tourism sectors as important drivers of economic
changes for the aviation industry, what has growth. Boeing’s Commercial Market
not changed is the expectation that global Outlook (CMO) forecasts that rising air travel will see the airplane
aviation growth will be increasingly driven fleet in Southeast Asia growing five per cent by 2040, result-
by this region. The pandemic brought the ing in the demand for more than 4400 new airplanes valued
industry together to work side by side to at US$800 billion.
build multiple layers of protection to mini-
mize health risks for passengers and crew AAA: Do you see any fleet expansion in the region soon,
throughout the journey. and what type of aircraft?
Through a harmonized and cooperative
effort, we can safeguard the travel journey Nguyen: With rapid economic growth, Southeast Asian coun-
for passengers, flight crews, and airport work- tries such as Vietnam will also see fleet expansion and passenger
ers, maintain global connectivity and enable traffic well above global averages. Low-cost carriers are forecast
economic recovery. to expand intra-regional networks with single-aisle jets, while
open skies and trade agreements will enable carriers to invest
AAA: Which is that one area which in fuel-efficient widebodies to serve long-haul routes.
needs more attention? Single-aisle jets will account for more than 80 per cent of
Nguyen: During Vietnam’s 2020 ASEAN the deliveries, which will position the region to connect the
domestic routes in Southeast Asia and key leisure routes
presidency, Vietnam led the way in promot- between China and Northeast Asia. Wide-body jets including
ing standard operating procedures for future passenger and cargo models will total over 800 airplanes. Tied
public health emergencies and recognized to economic and fleet growth, demand for maintenance, repair,
the need to develop a common set of pre-de- overhaul and modifications account for a majority of projected
parture and post-arrival health and safety commercial aviation services demand.
ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 11
