Vietnam Airlines plans domestic route cuts due to jet fuel shortage, regulator says

Flag carrier Vietnam Airlines HVN.HM plans to cancel 23 flights per week across several domestic routes from April because of looming jet fuel shortages, Vietnam's aviation authority said.

The majority of Vietnam's jet fuel demand is met by imports, and the war in the Middle East is disrupting supply.

Vietnam Airlines, part of state-owned Vietnam Airlines Corp, is prioritising routes critical to national connectivity, trade, tourism, diplomacy and domestic travel, the CAAV said in a statement issued late on Monday.

From April 1, it will suspend seven domestic routes and cancel 23 flights a week to conserve fuel, including services from Hai Phong to Buon Ma Thuot, Cam Ranh, Phu Quoc and Can Tho, and from Ho Chi Minh City to Van Don, Rach Gia and Dien Bien, the statement added.

Vietnam Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reuters previously reported that the CAAV had warned of potential flight reductions from April after China and Thailand halted jet fuel exports because of the war in Iran, raising the risk of shortages.

Vietnamese airlines are preparing to implement fuel surcharges on international routes from early April, the authority added.

-Phuong Nguyen/Reuters