Bamboo Airways facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bamboo Airways

Founded	31 May 2017; 8 years ago (2017-05-31)
Commenced operations	16 January 2019; 6 years ago (2019-01-16)
AOC #	366
Operating bases	Hanoi Ho Chi Minh City Quy Nhon
Frequent-flyer program	Bamboo Club
Fleet size	7
Destinations	27
Parent company	Him Lam Group
Headquarters	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Key people	Le Thai Sam (Chairman) Luong Hoai Nam (CEO)
Net income	−US$722.5 million (2022)
Total assets	US$ 1.4 billion (2020)

Bamboo Airways is an airline from Vietnam that started in 2017. It began flying in January 2019. This airline uses a "hybrid" model. This means it tries to offer good service like a full-service airline. But it also tries to keep prices low like a budget airline.

Bamboo Airways flies A320 Family planes. These are smaller planes often used for shorter flights. Its main bases are at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi and Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Its official home base is Phu Cat Airport.

How Bamboo Airways Started

Getting Ready to Fly

Bamboo Airways' first A321neo at Noi Bai International Airport. This plane type was used from November 2019.

A former Bamboo Airways Boeing 787-9 plane. It flew until 2023.

Bamboo Airways was created in 2017. In March 2018, the airline made a deal with Airbus. They planned to buy up to 24 Airbus A321neo planes. This deal was worth about $3.1 billion. Important leaders from Vietnam and France were there for the signing.

Later, in June 2018, Bamboo Airways also signed a deal with Boeing. They ordered 20 new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner planes. This order was worth $5.6 billion.

In March 2019, Bamboo Airways agreed to buy 26 more Airbus A321neo planes. This was to help them grow their fleet and start new international flights. This agreement brought their total order for these planes to 50.

The airline wanted to hire many people when it started. It also aimed to be a "five-star airline." In July 2018, the company that owned Bamboo Airways increased its money to $56.52 million.

The government of Vietnam approved the airline in July 2018. Bamboo Airways got its special license to fly on July 9, 2018. This meant they had passed all the safety checks. The airline received its first plane, an Airbus A319-100, in December 2018.

First Flights and New Planes

Bamboo Airways started flying on January 16, 2019. Their first flight was with a leased Airbus A320 plane. It flew from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.

The airline received its first new A320neo plane in November 2019. A month later, its first Boeing 787-9 plane arrived.

Changes and New Owners

In March 2022, the person who founded the company that owned Bamboo Airways faced some problems. This led to changes for the airline. The aviation authority in Vietnam watched Bamboo Airways closely. This was to make sure flights stayed safe for customers. Bamboo Airways said its operations were still running smoothly.

The airline then looked for new investors. Local news reported that a new owner was taking over. They started to change the leadership of Bamboo Airways. They also began to separate Bamboo Airways from its former owner.

By March 2023, Bamboo Airways confirmed it had new investors. These new owners replaced the old ones. On June 21, 2023, Him Lam Group was officially announced as the new owner.

In October 2023, Luong Hoai Nam became the new CEO of Bamboo Airways. The airline also announced plans to change its fleet of planes. This included possibly stopping the use of its larger Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes.

Who Runs Bamboo Airways?

Leaders of the Airline

The airline has had several leaders over time. As of November 2018, Duong Thi Mai Hoa was a vice-president and general manager. Dang Tat Thang was the CEO from 2018 until July 2022. Nguyen Manh Quan became the CEO in July 2022.

Dang Tat Thang also became the chairman for a short time. After some changes, Nguyen Ngoc Trong was appointed as the new chairman in August 2022.

Later, in May 2023, Nguyen Minh Hai became the new CEO. He had worked for other airlines before. However, he resigned after just two months. Currently, Le Thai Sam is the Chairman, Le Ba Nguyen is the Vice Chairman, and Nguyen Ngoc Trong is the CEO. The airline has been making changes to its leadership, routes, and planes.

Who Owns Bamboo Airways?

Bamboo Airways was first owned by FLC Group. This company works in property and other areas. FLC Group later transferred Bamboo Airways to new investors.

In 2023, Him Lam Group became the main owner of Bamboo Airways. This group is a large real estate company in Vietnam. Some Japanese investors also joined them.

Where is the Main Office?

Bamboo Airways used to have its main office in Hanoi. But on March 31, 2024, the main offices moved to Ho Chi Minh City. The old office in Hanoi is now a smaller representative office.

Where Bamboo Airways Flies

As of February 2024, Bamboo Airways flies or has flown to these places:

Airline Partnerships

Bamboo Airways works with other airlines to offer more flight options.

• Codeshare: This is when two airlines share the same flight.
  • Myanmar Airways International
• Interline: This means passengers can use tickets from one airline to fly on another.
  • Air Canada
  • Hahn Air

Bamboo Airways Planes

Current Fleet

A Bamboo Airways A320neo plane with a special "Fly Green" design. It was seen at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

As of December 2023, Bamboo Airways uses planes that it leases from other companies. Here are the planes it currently flies:

Past Planes

These are the types of planes that Bamboo Airways used to fly but no longer does:

See also

In Spanish: Bamboo Airways para niños

• Transport in Vietnam