Bamboo Airways cleared to take to the skies

By Anh Tu January 8, 2019 | 07:02 pm PT

Bamboo Airways has received a certificate that allows it to operate aircraft. Photo courtesy of FLC.

Vietnam's newest airline, Bamboo Airways, has received a certificate that allows it to operate aircraft for commercial purposes.

The Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority Tuesday granted the Aircraft Operator Certificate (AOC) to Bamboo Airways.

The AOC is a certificate approved by a regulatory authority that allows a carrier to operate aircraft for commercial purposes within a specified scope of activities. As such, the FLC Group's startup airline has completed all necessary regulatory procedures for commencing commercial operations in Vietnam’s aviation market.

"This AOC certification is a result of 4 years of effort, I believe it is an important first step for Bamboo Airways to serve passengers and devote themselves to the Vietnam aviation industry," said Dang Tat Thang, CEO Bamboo Airways.

After many delays, Bamboo Airways expects to start operating domestic flights with Airbus A321 NEO aircraft by mid-January. Bamboo Airways will prepare 20 planes for flight in the first quarter of 2019 and increase their fleet size to 40-50 aircraft by the end of the year.

Thang said that at the moment, Bamboo Airways has fully prepared their personnel, technical and material assets and affirmed its fitness for operation through many activities including test runs, maintenance, engineering and other commercial transport activities.

Bamboo Airways will operate 37 routes connecting all major cities and popular tourist destinations in Vietnam, as well as some international routes in 2019.

The first routes of the country’s fifth carrier would connect Hanoi and HCMC, and from Hanoi and HCMC to central provinces of Quy Nhon and Quang Binh, and northern Quang Ninh Province.

The new carrier plans start off with 60 domestic flights a day. Later this year, the company also plans to open international flights to Japan, Korea and Singapore.

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.