Vietnamese National Assembly deputies on Wednesday recommended clarifying the responsibility of airlines to compensate passengers for delayed and cancelled flights under amendments to the Vietnam Civil Aviation Law.
According to Tran Cong Phan, a deputy from HCM City, air carriers and passengers are bound by a transport contract under which airlines must operate on schedule. However, flight delays of one to two hours, or even half a day, have become common and are often explained only as operational reasons.
Phan said such explanations were inadequate. While weather or other objective causes could be acceptable, operational reasons reflect the airline’s own fault, he said, adding that passengers deserved protection and compensation in such cases.
He proposed that the revised law specify airlines’ responsibilities in informing passengers, compensating for delays or cancellations, and ensuring proper service standards. He noted that delays could severely disrupt work schedules.
Le Huu Tri, a deputy from Khanh Hoa, said frequent delays showed a lack of discipline in the aviation sector, causing inconvenience and financial losses to passengers and harming the Vietnamese aviation sector’s image. He suggested stricter provisions to address the issue.
Dang Thi My Huong, vice head of Khanh Hoa’s National Assembly delegation, agreed on codifying passengers’ rights to information, assistance and compensation in cases of delays, cancellations or lost luggage. She also proposed transparency on fares, surcharges and refund policies.
Tran Dinh Chung, a deputy from Danang, advocated that airlines should be legally required to compensate passengers for delays and cancellations not caused by customers or force majeure events, such as natural disasters.
“Delays due to late aircraft arrivals or operational issues are the airline’s responsibility,” Chung said, urging clear and transparent compensation rules, including how long a delay triggers compensation and how much is paid.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) reported that the aviation industry’s average on-time flight rate in the first seven months of this year fell by 11 percentage points from a year earlier to 62.7 per cent.
According to data from CAAV, the country’s aviation market handled an estimated 64.1 million passengers and 1.1 million tonnes of cargo in the first nine months of this year, representing increases of 10.7 per cent and 18.7 per cent respectively compared with the same period in 2024.
Vietnamese airlines alone carried an estimated 43.7 million passengers and 343,300 tonnes of cargo, up 8.2 per cent and 5.6 per cent year-on-year.
The aviation industry is entering a period of rapid expansion, which also brings challenges such as flight delays and cancellations affecting passengers.
