Vietjet Air, Grab, Swift247 to launch express delivery service

A strategic partnership agreement signed Wednesday by airline Vietjet Air, ride-hailing service provider Grab and tech-based courier Swift247 envisages joint development of an integrated digital platform that provides delivery solutions by ground and air in Southeast Asia.

The platform will include a ‘super-express’ delivery service that will leverage technology from Swift247 to connect shippers and customers, Grab’s driver fleet and Vietjet Air’s network.

The service would initially be an extension on GrabExpress, Grab’s courier service, and customers can track the movement of their parcels on Grab’s website as well as Swift247’s delivery app, Vietjet Air said.

The service has been tested for a month, and the partners look to fully integrate Swift247’s services into the Grab platform soon.

"Our partnership with Grab ... [and] Swift247 will usher in changes to the local delivery market and meet the increasing demand for goods delivery services," Vietjet president and CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao said.

It is also another step towards Vietjet Air becoming a "consumer airline," she added.

Vietjet Air operates more than 400 flights daily on 129 local and international routes including to Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Korea.

Singapore-based Grab provides a wide range of services on its platform, such as transportation, food and goods delivery and e-payment, and operates in eight countries in Southeast Asia.

Swift247, established in February, is a Vietnam-based technology startup that provides express delivery and e-commerce services.