Bamboo Airways, Vietnam’s newest airline, is expected to make its maiden flight on Dec. 29, its founder said Friday. The first routes of the country’s fifth carrier would connect Hanoi and HCMC, and from Hanoi and HCMC to central Quy Nhon City, said Trinh Van Quyet, chairman of Vietnamese private firm FLC, the airline’s founder.
Dang Tat Thang, Bamboo Airways general director, said the carrier has basically got itself ready for the first flight, and aircraft that it is hiring is due to arrive in Vietnam on Dec. 12.
“It is possible that flight tickets will be on sale a month before the initial takeoff,” he said.
Bamboo Airways finally got its long-awaited aviation license early this week.
It is allowed to operate 10 aircraft on both domestic and international routes and to carry passengers and cargo.
The airline plans to fly on 100 routes, connecting Vietnam’s major cities with popular domestic and international tourist destinations.
After licensing, it needs to obtain an aircraft operator certificate and obtain permission for parking and selling tickets, which are expected to take 30-45 days from the date of license issuance.
Bamboo Airways was founded in mid-2017 with a charter capital of VND700 billion ($30 million), which it increased to VND1.3 trillion ($55.68 million) recently.
The airline has signed deals to buy 24 Airbus A320neo and 20 Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft worth a total of about $8.6 billion.
The other four carriers in Vietnam currently are Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Jetstar Pacific and VASCO.