The airlines also received a certificate of merit by the Prime Minister for its significant contributions to national defence, security, socio-economic development and international cooperation. The award came in conjunction with the parent company Vietnam Airlines Corporation’s 4 th congress on patriotic emulation campaigns.
Addressing the ceremony, Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang said Vietnam Airlines is among few flight operators who own the world latest fleet generations including Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787-9. It is proof that once a company boasts determination and ambition based on passengers’ interest, it can achieve any goal, declared Thang.
Vietnam Airlines was officially established at the behest of the Prime Minister on May 27, 1995, when the country re-organised its aviation sector. By 1995, it had a fleet of 25 aircraft and served 25 international and 18 domestic routes. By the end of 2015, these figures are expected to increase to 85 aircraft operating in 57 international routes and carrying passengers to 29 destinations as well as 37 domestic routes to 21 destinations. During the period, Vietnam Airlines operated over 1.39 million flights and earned VND12.5 trillion (US$576.03 million) in pre-tax profits, contributing more than VND30 trillion (US$1.38 billion) to the State budget.
Thanks to all these efforts, Vietnam Airlines has become an official member of the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) and achieved IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) standards when it came to quality of service. It joined the SkyTeam Alliance in 2010.
