First time all Vietnamese airlines report profits                                    This year is the first time that, not only Vietnam Airlines but all other domestically held carriers have reported profits.   Stewardess of Vietnam Airlines The information was announced by the minister of transport, Dinh La Thang, during an online meeting with localities on December 24. However, he did not disclose the specifics of how much they had earned. This is a remarkable breakthrough for Vietnamese carriers. Less than one year ago there was still information being floated about flight halts of some airlines due to losses. Early this year, Air Mekong announced that they would halt flights from late February in order to restructure. In 2011, Trai Thien Air Cargo had its license revoked after only three years. Indochina Airlines, owned by the musician Ha Dung found itself in a similar situation. Last year, Jestar Pacific Airlines reported an accumulated loss of VND2.47 trillion (USD117.6 million), a record high. VietJetAir, which conducted its first commercial flight in December 2011, recently reported its profits and has plans for an IPO. Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines has planned to find an investment partner in the first quarter of next year to prepare for their own IPO. According to Minister Thang, the growth of domestic carriers will be around 20% this year. Duong Tri Thanh, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Airlines, said Vietnam is among the countries with the fastest-growing aviation market worldwide, with a growth rate of 14.5% between 2001 and 2013, equal to 30 million passengers per year.From now until 2020, the growth rate is expected to be 10% annually. Vietnam is now home to 22 airports, of which 21 are operational.  At the online meeting, localities proposed more investment in airports. Le Hoang Quan, Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, said it is essential to speed up the construction of Long Thanh International Airport in the next 2 to 3 years in order to ease the overload at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Tan Son Nhat was designed for a capacity of 13 million passengers by 2015, but this year, the figure has already reached 20 million. The minister of transport, Dinh La Thang, said the ministry will submit the Long Thanh airport investment plan to the government in May of 2014. Hopes are that the project will be started in 2015 or early 2016 and completed by 2020. By Bich Diep | dtinews.vn