“We are very excited about bringing HMSHost, the world’s leading travel related F&B operator, to our country,” says IPP Group President Le Hong ThuyTien. “The collaboration will not only involve major investments and new employment, but more importantly: HMSHost will also bring its international expertise and knowledge. Combined with our expertise of the local market, we can together further improve the quality of Vietnamese airport restaurants.”

 

Autogrill VFS F&B Company currently operates the 28 points of sale at Ho Chi Minh, Phu Quoc, and Da Nang airports. Concepts include Western brands such as hamburger specialist Burger King, the American restaurant chain Domino's Pizza, and Popeye's Chicken, which shows off its New Orleans heritage with authentic spicy chicken. In addition, the group operates Asian restaurants such as the casual Asian restaurants Big Bowl, Next Noodles, as well as Kaisha Sushi that offers a wide variety of Japanese noodles and sushi. 

 

An additional six new food & beverage concepts will be opened at Hanoi airport in the second half of the year. An aggressive development roll-out will result in a further 48 outlets across all airports in Vietnam over the next eighteen months. “We have extensive experience in the development of new concepts that meet the needs of all kinds of travellers”, says HMSHost International CEO Walter Seib. “Trends in food and beverages depend on where in the world you are. In Vietnam for instance, we will develop concepts that work with local products and ingredients that embraces the great local food heritage of Vietnam. Overall, there will be a good balance between international, regional, and local brands at every airport. This is a major step for our company into one of the emerging markets in Asia that we have been targeting.”

 

After China and India, Vietnam is the country expected to see the fastest growth in terms of passenger traffic (at an average of 8.6 percent a year until 2020). To meet this rising demand, its government will invest around $20 billion to further develop the airport sector over the next few years. The government sets out to upgrade its airports to international standards. The joint venture will support this ambition. 

 

Around 90 percent of the 37 million passengers moved by Vietnamese airports every year is concentrated in the country’s top three airports (Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, and Da Nang). Located on the south coast – near Vietnam’s biggest urban area – Ho Chi Minh Airport is the country’s busiest airport with around 16 million passengers in 2011. Hanoi – the capital’s airport and the most important in the north – is the second busiest with over 9 million transits. Da Nang – in the central zone where the country’s main industries are situated – is the third largest airport with around 3 million passengers.