¡¡¡¡HANOI, March 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Vietnam's aviation industry plans to take off in the coming years, aiming to meet the increasing demand for domestic and international air transportation.

¡¡¡¡Vietnam's aviation industry is expected this year to transport 6.2 million passengers, increasing by 9.5 percent and 125,000 tonsof cargo, increasing by 8.5 percent, over 2001.

¡¡¡¡In the past years, the Vietnam civil aviation industry had taken a large step forward though its development gap with its counterparts in countries of the region is still big.

¡¡¡¡From 1986 to 1993, the aviation industry adopted a new management model which uses business accounting instead of subsidysystem. It was also during the period that the industry focused onbuilding infrastructure and increasing the number of planes.

¡¡¡¡During the period, three airports authorities were established in Vietnam, including the northern airports authority, the centralairports authority, and the southern airports authority.

¡¡¡¡In 1996, it started the practice of leasing and lease-purchase.For the year 2001, the total air transport market of Vietnam mounted to nearly 5.7 million passengers and 110,000 tons of cargocarried.

¡¡¡¡Before 1993, Vietnam airlines only operated regional fights. In1993, it started to operate international two-way fights. At present, it has 13 two-way routes, namely from Hanoi to Paris and vice versa, from Hanoi to Beijing and vice versa and a number of other one-way air routes.

¡¡¡¡The industry also intensified investment in infrastructure and modernization of aircraft fleet, equipment and technology of the airports.

¡¡¡¡Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport and Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat International Airport are capable of receiving up to 4-6 million and 5 million passengers annually respectively.

¡¡¡¡In order to meet increase aviation relations between Vietnam and other countries in the region, Europe, Middle East and North America, Vietnam will have two more international airports after 2015 and the number of airports serving domestic services will increase by 8-10 airports in the first two decades.

¡¡¡¡In addition, the training and scientific research are given highest priority in the development strategy of the industry.

¡¡¡¡As other economic and technical branches, the civil aviation industry entered the 21st century with new contemplation and determination to catch up with the development of the region and the rest of the world. Enditem

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