Vietnam's Underdog Air Carrier

With the re-emergence of Ho Chi Minh City based Pacific Airlines, the Vietnam Airlines’ monopoly on airspace has ended. Most people had simply just accepted the mediocrity (and mystery meat sandwiches served as cabin fare) of VA because there were no other options . Pacific airlines has been in the picture from time to time, offering a few flights to limited domestic destinations. The difference this time is that indebted Pacific will have the backing of a Singapore based investment firm. This means that the airline has the funding to shrug of its debt and move forward on plans to widen their offerings. Right now, the Pacific flies between Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Hanoi domestically, and Taiwan internationally. They plan to market themselves as a low-cost airline for regional travel. The proposal calls for adding routes to Southeast Asia’s major cities (including Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Bangkok).

While Vietnam Airlines will probably remain the most convenient choice for many fliers travelling domestically, I hope that a sense of competition with their re-strengthened
rival will lead to an increase in quality of service.