Bamboo Airways, is a startup airline by a Vietnamese construction company, FLC Group. The airline will be established with a charter capital of US$30.8 million. The airline is to be based at Quy Nhon’s Phu Cat Airport. Bamboo Airways will commence operations in late 2018 or early 2019. Bamboo Airways will serve destinations where FLC Group has heavily invested in tourism infrastructure, as well as other secondary domestic routes.
History
The airline was founded in 2017 and submitted it request to the Vietnamese prime minister for approval. The government's approval was confirmed on July 9, 2018. The airline will have to complete some procedures to acquire a licence of operation issued by the Ministry of Transport of Vietnam after it has been approved by the Prime Minister and the submitted dossiers for licence of operation have been reviewed by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam.
The airline's application for a licence shall have an official verification of investment capital, a chart of the company’s internal system, a contract for selling or renting aircrafts, the company’s operating and transportation guidelines, and a strategy for product development.
Fleet
The airline plans to launch with a fleet of 30 aircraft for domestic services. They have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Airbus for 24 Airbus A321neos. The airline will start operations with aircraft on lease from third party lessors before taking delivery of the aircraft from Airbus. FLC Group chairman met leaders of Boeing on June 25-26 in Washington D.C. and they mutually finalized the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Boeing for 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, costed USD$ 5.6 billion, scheduled to deliver from April 2020.
Some experts doubt about the transactions concerning the financial capability of this startup, FLC actually purchased 44 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing in form of sale-and-leaseback.
Destinations
The first flights will be launched on October 10, 2018 to the Vietnamese cities: Hanoi, Vinh, Dong Hoi, Nha Trang, Qui Nhon, Phu Quoc.
Focus on the tourism destinations of Vietnam
