Mekong Aviation Joint Stock Company has recently become the third private airline to request and receive a Vietnamese operating license.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung agreed to issue an operating licence for the Kien Giang province-based company to launch their carrier Mekong Air.
Vietjet Air and Indochina Airlines have already been given permission by the Government to offer domestic services in December 2007 and May 2008, respectively.
Mekong Air operations will begin in 2010 with an airport base of Noi Bai Airport.
Mekong Air has a charter capital of 200 billion VND (12.1 million USD), which is the minimum required for it to operate in the country by the Law on Aviation; internationally, charter capital is normally required to be at least 30.3 million USD.
Mekong Air plans to operate ten planes which will fly to several destinations, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City , Rach Gia, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang and Can Tho. Aircraft options being considered have a maximum carrying capacity of 90 passengers.
Vietnam currently has six airlines participating in the domestic aviation market, with the State-owned airlines being Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific and Vasco. Indochina Airlines will begin operations in early November. Until now, only the State-owned airlines have been operational.
Indochina Airlines’ general director Ha Dung said that the firm planned to use the new-generation planes of Boeing 737-800 to serve passengers with an aim of transporting one million passengers per annum. Indochina Air will provide four flights daily from Ha Noi to HCM City and two flights from HCM City to Da Nang.