Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has agreed on the proposal of the Ministry of Transport (MoT) to issue a long-awaited aviation license for Bamboo Airlines JSC, a subsidiary of FLC Group that operates Bamboo Airways, said FLC group in a statement.
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According to the MoT, the airline is qualified and meets requirements in terms of capital, availability of aircraft and business strategy.
Bamboo Airways plans to operate domestic flights connecting FLC's resorts in Vietnam, in addition to international flights from major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to countries in the region.
With this strategy, the airlines is expected enhance competitiveness in Vietnam's aviation market and providing new air travel options for passengers, stated the MoT.
The PM on July 9 approved the Bamboo Airways investment project at Phu Cat Airport, Binh Dinh province.
Dang Tat Thang, CEO of Bamboo Airways, said final preparation for the first flight, which is scheduled to be launched at the end of the fourth quarter of this year, is completed.
The airline has also completed test flights, which showed all aircrafts are safe for operation, stated the FLC Group.
Bamboo Airways expected to have a fleet of 20 airplanes at its disposal in 2018 and another 20 – 30 in 2019. Meanwhile, new airplanes from two contracts worth US$8.8 billion signed with Airbus and Boeing are tentatively scheduled to be delivered from 2020.
Bamboo Airways plans to provide direct international flights to destinations where FLC Group has resort facilities, such as Quy Nhon, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Phu Quoc, and Nha Trang, in addition to domestic flights connecting tourist spots in Vietnam.
Vietnam currently has four airlines, including national carrier Vietnam Airlines, budget operator Jetstar Pacific Airlines (partly owned by Vietnam Airlines), budget carrier Vietjet Aviation, and Vietnam Air Services (VASCO).
