What's Happening with Bamboo Airways ?

Vietnamese start-up, Bamboo Airways has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Airbus for 24 aircraft. The Vietnamese carrier has seen a gap in Vietnamese commercial aviation, and wishes to fill that gap up. There is room for a new airline to start operations at smaller airports and Hanoi, a city the airline has revealed plans to serve, although that will not be the carriers main base.

Owned by the FLC Group, one of the countrys largest conglomerates, Bamboo Airways has revealed plans to start operations by 2019. The A321NEO, the aircraft that the airline intends to use, is one of the most efficient narrowbody jets, with an aim to replace the Boeing 757/767. Although this is the aim, the A321NEO has attracted first time customers, including Bamboo Airways. Bamboo Airways signed a MOU for 24 aircraft, being the A321NEO. The aircraft are set to be delivered starting from 2022. The CCO of Bamboo Airways said, “We are proud that the A321neo has been selected by FLC Group. This decision once again underscores the position of the A321 as the aircraft of choice in the mid-market segment with its additional capacity and the very lowest operating cost. Vietnam is one of the most vibrant economies in South East Asia and we are proud to play a key role in helping to develop the air transport system in this fast-growing market.” The airline has revealed plans to lease other aircraft from different lessors before its A321s arrive starting 2022.

Dang Tat Thang, the start up carriers' appointed director general said, that Bamboo Airways' services will focus on the international leisure market to continue to grow, even if the country is becoming increasingly congested. Although its headquarters are based in Hanoi, the airline is said to start operations from secondary airports. Operating from primary airports is currently very hard to achieve thanks to very congested airports. Low cost airline Vietstar Airlines has had huge difficulties growing its network and fleet, thanks to the congested airspaces and airports at Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, the countries' most popular cities. Although they are popular, other Vietnamese cities are just as popular, just not well known. Bamboo Airways plans to bring tourists from international destinations to Vietnamese secondary cities such as Haiphong in the north, and Phu Quoc in the south.

(The picture below is a map of Vietname. The yellow parts represent the Asian country)

However, issues have risen. The carrier is planning to start operations by the end of 2018 or the start of 2019. The issue with this, is that the airlines A321NEOs are set to be delivered from 2022 onwards. The airline is currently in talks with Airbus for the supply of jets which will be leased until Bamboo Airways takes delivery of some of their A321NEOs.

It is currently unknown what configuration the airline will use on its A321NEOs, but it is highly likely, first class will not be available. So little is known about the carrier, it doesn't have its own wikipedia page as of 28 March! The future for the airline is uncertain, but Vietnams' aviation is growing, and many airlines are choosing to fly, and sometimes create hubs, at the beautiful country of Vietnam.