HCMC - Global distribution system firm GDS, the former general sales agent of Viva Macau in Vietnam, said Viva Macau’s bankruptcy had affected at least 900 local creditors.
Viva Macau still owes over US$150,000 to GDS, booking agents, travel agencies and passengers in Vietnam, according to GDS. However, the airline’s combined debt in Vietnam could reach around US$1 million if the unpaid bills of local service providers were included.
The company told the Daily on Thursday that there was little chance of the budget airline settling the debt.
GDS said it would continue to track new developments of the Viva Macau case, but noted Viva Macau leased almost assets from offices to aircraft as reported by the bankruptcy management agency under the court of Macau.
Viva Macau reportedly owes some US$38 million to 1,983 creditors including the Macau government, aircraft leasing and service companies, its staff, general sales agents, booking agents, travel firms and passengers in and outside the Chinese territory.
The court of Macao will consider petitions from creditors and decide who will be prioritized to get compensation after the court allowed Viva Macau to go bankrupt at the first two-day hearing in Macau last month because the carrier was unable to resume services.
Viva Macau started to fly to Tan Son Nhat Airport in December 2007 and Noi Bai Airport in early 2009. The carrier operated daily service to Tan Son Nhat and three weekly flights to Noi Bai before it had to call off its flights to Hanoi on March 27 and HCMC a day later.
In Vietnam, Indochina Airlines faces legal action from booking agents after the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) said this agency did not know how to contact the private airline to tell it to pay deposit debts for over 30 agents.
An official of CAAV told the Daily that he had once attempted to phone Ha Hung Dung, chief executive officer of Indochina Airlines, informing him of the agents’ calls for debt payment and order this carrier to send a report on how to settle debt, but Dung did not answer the call.
CAAV also received back a document it sent to the address of Indochina Airlines in its business license to inform the carrier of the agents’ request for their deposit payment. In addition to agents, the carrier has not paid tens of billions of dong to jet fuel and service providers, including Vietnam Air Petrol Co.
