The development of Vietnam’s dynamic and robust aviation is expected togreatly benefit the national economy, a conference in Hanoi heard onAugust 27.

Aviation should be considered astrategic economic sector and be paid the attention this command, saidTony Tyler, Director General of the International Air TransportAssociation (IATA).

He stated that the industry nowcontributes 6 billion USD to Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) andgenerates more than 230,000 jobs domestically.

During the 2008-2013 period, the number of air passengers increased by 96 percent.

According to Pham Ngoc Minh, General Director of Vietnam AirlinesCorporation, the highest priority for the sustainable development ofairlines in Vietnam is to guarantee flight safety and improve thequality of services.

Carriers should promptlyimplement IATA’s safety management programmes and pursue certificationsequivalent to IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) standards, he said.

Vietnam Airlines received IOSA certification and wasgranted IATA membership in 2006. It joined the global airline allianceSkyTeam in 2010.

During the conference, jointlyorganised by IATA and Vietnam Airlines, over 240 delegates discussedinfrastructure development, flight safety, aviation policies andservices, as well as global trends and Vietnam’s integration into theinternational market.

IATA predictions for the2013-2017 period state that Vietnam is set to rank seventh amongst themost rapidly developing aviation markets in the world, with increases ininternational passenger and cargo transport of 6.9 percent and 6.6percent, respectively.-VNA