Vietnam pursues over flights

HANOI The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam says Vietnam will pursue agreements to allow a straight north-south flight path through the airspace of Laos and Cambodia by June next year.
The CAVV head, Lai Xuan Thanh, told local media, Tuesday, that the decision was reached by Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian aviation authorities following a recent meeting in Danang City.
“We reached an agreement with Laos and Cambodia to open the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City straight flight path in June 2015. They agreed that the optimum flight level for the path will be FL350 (35,000 feet).”
inside no 3Details of over flight fees have still to be finalised.
On 3 September, Vietnam Airlines and CAAV ran flight simulations of the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City flight path through Lao and Cambodian airspace.
The new flight path is 85 km shorter than the current route that follows the coastline, according to the simulations. Pilots said that the path saved five minutes from the total flight time or 190 km.
Vietnam Airlines and the CAAV said they have tested both types of planes used on the route: a Boeing 777 and Airbus 321.
In March 2009, the CAAV received a proposal for the Hanoi-HCM City straight air route from former pilot Mai Trong Tuan.
The proposed air route would mean flights between the capital and the southern economic hub traverse Lao and Cambodian airspace, rather than the ocean, no longer following Vietnam’s “S” shaped coastline.

sourced:ttrweekly.com