Hanoi approves $173mn 0% interest loan to Vietnam Airlines

Viet Nam's Bamboo Airways eyes US ops in late 3Q21

Bamboo Airways (QH, Hanoi) plans to join state-owned rival Vietnam Airlines (VN, Hanoi) and launch direct scheduled services from Viet Nam to California from September 1, 2021.

According to local media, the privately-owned carrier has already secured slots at both Los Angeles Int'l and San Francisco, CA airports. Its current timeline envisages the launch of charter flights in July 2021 and the subsequent ramp-up to scheduled operations from September. Bamboo Airways initially plans to use its B787-9s to connect Ho Chi Minh City with San Francisco 4x weekly, gradually increasing to daily. Bamboo Airways has also secured slots for daily services to Los Angeles, although they are due to be launched in the second phase.

Bamboo Airways has yet to file for, let alone secure, either exemption authority or a US Foreign Air Carrier Permit from the US Department of Transportation (DOT). And while it was authorised in October 2020 to operate 12 charter flights to the United States, it has so far not flown any.

In turn,...

Viet Nam’s Bamboo Airways raises charter capital - again

Bamboo Airways (QH, Hanoi) continues to increase its registered charter capital, announcing on April 29 a rise to VND16 trillion (USD692 million) from VND12.5 trillion (USD540 million), the third such increase since the beginning of the year.

It is the privately-owned carrier’s seventh such hike since its charter capital began in May 2017 with an initial investment of VND700 billion (USD31 million at the time). As previously reported, it had only just raised it on April 15, from VND10.5 trillion (USD454 million).

It now has the highest charter capital in Viet Nam’s aviation industry, surpassing Vietnam Airlines (VN, Hanoi), local media reported. The state-owned flag carrier currently has a charter capital of around VND14.1 trillion (USD610 million), VietJetAir (VJ, Hanoi) around VND5.4 trillion (USD234 million), and Vietravel Airlines (VU, Hue Phu Bai Int'l) VND700 billion (USD30 million).

Earlier this month, its chairman Trinh Van Quyet said that the company was considering an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States in the third quarter of this year, selling...

Viet Nam to tighten slot usage rules amid complaints

Hanoi mulls soft loans for Bamboo Airways, VietJetAir