Jetstar Australia apologizes over joke on Vietnamese currency

"We have acknowledged a Facebook post on Wednesday in relation to Vietnam’s currency was inappropriate and should never have been posted which is why it was quickly deleted," stated the apology published on its website on Friday.

"Shortly after the post was removed, we apologised on Facebook and wish to sincerely apologise again for any offence caused. We have reviewed our processes to ensure a similar error doesn’t happen again," it said.

Jetstar Australia's apology for a joke over Vietnam’s currency name. Screenshot from Jetstar Australia's website

The airline joked over the currency of Vietnam in a Facebook post, saying: "Sorry but Vietnamese money being called dong is objectively funny."

"And a million dong is $65 and I basically have $65 which means I'm a millionaire," it said.

The post sparked backlash from both Vietnamese individuals and international communities. Many Facebook users left their comments under the post calling it "unacceptable" and "tone-deaf," and some commenters even vowed to stop using Jetstar Australia’s services.

"No more Vietnamese will fly with Jetstar. Racial hatred," Daily Mail quoted a comment.

"I'll never choose Jetstar until they issue an official apology to the Vietnamese people," another said.

Jetstar Australia is a low-cost airline based in Melbourne. A wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas, it operates an extensive domestic, regional, and international network primarily operating from Melbourne Airport.