VietJet Air

Foundation delays

Founded in 2007, the airline's founding team included Robert Hughes, an American who led the company through its initial year.[9] The airline has its head office in the Vạn Phúc Diplomatic Corps in Ba Đình district, Hanoi[10] It was the first privately owned airline to be established in Vietnam,[4] and as of its launch in December 2011, it became the second private airline (after Air Mekong) to offer domestic service in Vietnam, as well as the fifth airline overall not counting Indochina Airlines, which ceased operations in November 2009 to offer civil domestic flights, after Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, Air Mekong and the Vietnam Air Service Company (VASCO).[3] In its initial plan, the Hanoi-based airline stated its intention to offer flights to Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, gradually expanding its network to include other Asian destinations, such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, and cities in southern China.[11] The airline's president and CEO is Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao from December 2011.[12]

Initially, VietJet had shown the intention to commence flights in late 2008 or early 2009.[11] Throughout the next few years, the expected launch date was repeatedly pushed back, first to late 2009, then mid-2010.[13] Airline officials gave different reasons for the delays, including increased fuel prices and other financial problems, as well as unresolved branding conflicts with the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV).[14]

Although Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia announced in February 2010 that it planned to purchase a 30% stake in the airline through a joint venture agreement, the carrier rescinded its plans in October 2011, citing "a failure to obtain Vietnamese regulatory approvals".[15][16] By February 2011, VietJet was said to be "completing final stages" prior to launch before its operation license expired in June.[17] The airline's maiden flight was eventually launched on 25 December 2011, flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.[6]

Operations

The Vietnam aviation authority fined VietJet Air US$960 in 2012 for organizing five women of candidates in a local beauty contest to perform a Hawaiian themed-dance without first gaining permission to celebrate its maiden flight to the tourist hub of Nha Trang.[18]

On 9 February 2013, the airline launched its first international flight between Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok, becoming the first Vietnamese private airline to enter the international market.

In February 2014, at the opening of that year's Singapore Airshow, the airline firmed up orders with Airbus for 60 A320 aircraft at a list price of $6.4 billion.[19] Previously, the airline had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus for 92 planes in the A320 family.[20]

In June 2015, at the Paris Air Show, VietJet ordered six additional Airbus A321 single-aisle jets worth $682 million at list prices from Airbus to meet demand on some of its busiest routes;[21] VietJet purchased a further 30 later that year at the Dubai Airshow, which included 21 A321neos along with 9 A321ceos.[22] In May 2016 during a state visit of US President Barack Obama, an order for 200 Boeing 737 MAX aeroplanes was signed, with deliveries to start in 2019.[23] In September 2016, CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao announced an order for 20 A321 single-aisle aircraft from Airbus. The signing took place during a state visit of French President Francois Hollande.[24] During the 2018 Farnborough Airshow, Thai VietJet, VietJet's Thai subsidiary, ordered 100 Boeing 737 MAXs (80 MAX 10s and 20 MAX 8s) and 50 A321neos.[25]

Public offering

VietJet completed its initial public offering (IPO) on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HOSE) on 28 February 2017 at an initial price of 90,000 VND (US$ ) per share. The share price immediately rose by 20%, the maximum allowed for newly listed companies. The airline raised $167 million from the listing, making it the biggest IPO on the Vietnamese stock market to date[26] and accounting for 1.5% of HOSE's capitalization at the time.[27]

New routes

On 15 January 2025, VietJet announced the addition of four new routes to China. Commencing 30 March 2025, three new routes will be added to its service namely Ho Chi Minh-Beijing Daxing, Hanoi-Guangzhou and Ho Chi Minh-Guangzhou. Subsequently, another new route between Hanoi and Beijing Daxing will begin on 1 April 2025.[28] A new inaugural route to Auckland will begin in September 2025.[29]

Transition to in-house ground services

Vietjet took over ground handling services at Tan Son Nhat Airport from former partner Saigon Ground Services (SAGS) on April 20, 2025. The transition coincided with the peak travel season during the Reunification Day and Labour Day holiday in Vietnam, as well as the change of domestic terminals at Tan Son Nhat Airport, leading to mass delays of hundreds of flights, causing significant meltdown across the airline's network. This stirred up serious controversies over the airline, with thousands of passengers requesting an explanation and compensation for the inconvenience and loss they had experienced.[30]

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has instructed Vietjet to arrange full staff and equipment deployment and coordinate with other ground service providers to ensure appropriate operation.

2nd subsidiaries

On May 8, 2025, during the state visit by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam - Tô Lâm to Kazakhstan, Vietjet Air and Qazaq Air announced a strategic partnership to form the new subsidiaries, Vietjet Qazaqstan.[31]

Business trends

The key trends for VietJet are (as of the financial year ending 31 December):[32]

Brand identity and livery

To attract sponsorships and advertisement contracts, VietJet is known by its strategy to place promoted and sponsored content on its aircraft livery.[39]

Codeshare agreements

VietJet Air codeshares with the following airlines:

• Japan Airlines[42]
• Lao Airlines[43]

Interline agreements

• Qatar Airways[44]
• Emperor Airways[45]

Current fleet

As of April 2025, VietJet Air operates the following aircraft:

Fleet development

On 26 February 2019, VietJet Air signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing, an American aircraft manufacturer, to purchase 100 Boeing 737 MAX 200 aircraft.[63][64] The signing ceremony took place at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam, in the presence of Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong and U.S. President Donald Trump.[65][66][67]

In December 2019, VietJet Air had one of its first Boeing 737 MAX 200 aircraft rolled out from the Boeing factory.[68][69][70] However, the plane was not taken up afterwards and was delivered to Akasa Air.

On 23 July 2024, at the Farnborough International Airshow, VietJet Air and Airbus officially finalized a deal worth $7.4 billion for 20 Airbus A330-900 aircraft, following a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the purchase back in February 2024 at the Singapore Airshow.[71] It is the airline's first-ever widebody order. They will replace the carrier's current wide-body fleet of 7 leased Airbus A330-300 aircraft, as well as providing for network expansion.[72] Between April and October 2025, Vietjet operated two Comac C909 wet-leased from Chengdu Airlines on a 6-month contract, marking the first time Chinese jets were used for domestic flights in Vietnam.[73][74] The lease was later renewed in November 2025.[62]

On 17 June 2025, at the Paris Airshow, VietJet and Airbus announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for 100 Airbus A321neo jets with an additional 50 options available for purchase at a later date.[75]