Vietnam Airlines seeks shareholder loans

By Dat Nguyen December 21, 2020 | 12:45 am PT

Medical staff disinfects an aircraft of Vietnam Airlines at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on March 13, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Ba Do.

Vietnam Airlines Group has called an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting next week to source low-interest loans to accelerate Covid-19 recovery.

At the meeting, to be held on Dec. 29, the flag carrier will seek loans from its shareholders that comprise the government with an over 86 percent stake, Japanese aviation company ANA Holdings with 8.7 percent, and other organizations and individuals.

The National Assembly in November approved a plan for the central bank to refinance Vietnam Airlines and roll over loans. The airline had earlier asked for a relief package of VND12 trillion.

The group will also seek shareholder approval to issue more shares to existing stakeholders and so increase its capital.

Vietnam Airlines Group, consisting of the carrier and subsidiaries Pacific Airlines and Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO), posted a loss of VND10.75 trillion ($464 million) for January-September as the Covid-19 pandemic slashed its number of flights.

It has forecast the figure would rise to VND15.2 trillion for the whole year.

All Vietnamese airlines have fallen victim to Covid-19 this year with the number of flights plunging 36 percent year-on-year to 196,600 in the first 11 months, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.