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 (Vietnamese: CTCP Hàng không Tre Việt) is an airline from Vietnam. It started in 2017. They began flying in January 2019. They use a special "hybrid airline" style, which mixes different types of airline services. Bamboo Airways mainly flies smaller planes like the Airbus A320 family. Their main airports, called "hubs," are Noi Bai International Airport and Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Their official home base is Phu Cat Airport.

Discovering Bamboo Airways' Journey

How Bamboo Airways Started and Grew

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

Later, in June 2018, the FLC Group, which owned Bamboo Airways then, signed another big deal. They ordered 20 new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner planes from Boeing. 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 open new international flights. This brought their total order for these planes to 50.

The airline wanted to hire many people, aiming for 600 staff when it started. They also had a goal to become a "five-star airline." In July 2018, the FLC Group increased the money they put into the airline.

The Prime Minister of Vietnam approved the airline's creation in July 2018. Bamboo Airways got its official flying license, called an AOC, on July 9, 2018. They passed all the steps needed by Vietnam's aviation authority. The Ministry of Transport gave them an aviation license in November 2018.

The airline got its first plane, an Airbus A319-100, in December 2018. In the same month, they received their first Airbus A321neo. This plane was rented from another company.

Bamboo Airways started flying on January 16, 2019. Their first flight was with a rented Airbus A320. It flew from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. They also made a firm order for ten Boeing 787-9s in early 2019. The airline received its first A320neo in November 2019. Their first Boeing 787-9 was delivered a month later.

Changes in Ownership and Leadership

In March 2022, there were some big changes for Bamboo Airways. The person who founded and led its parent company, FLC Group, was involved in legal issues. Because of this, the aviation authority in Vietnam watched Bamboo Airways closely. They wanted to make sure the airline kept flying safely for its customers. Bamboo Airways said that these changes did not stop their flights and that business was still "smooth."

Bamboo Airways then looked for a "strategic investor" to help them. News reports said that a new owner was taking over. This new owner started by changing the airline's leaders. They also planned to reorganize Bamboo Airways and separate it from its old owner, FLC Group.

By December 2022, the official website for Bamboo Airways no longer mentioned FLC Group. FLC Group also confirmed that they owned much less of Bamboo Airways. This meant they were no longer the main owner.

In March 2023, Bamboo Airways announced that new investors had taken over. These new investors replaced the old ownership by FLC Group. Around this time, a Bamboo Airways plane was seen in Taiwan without the "FLC Group" name on it.

On June 21, 2023, Him Lam Group was officially announced as the new owner of Bamboo Airways. After this change, there were rumors that Bamboo Airways might be in trouble. However, the airline quickly said these rumors were false. They promised to keep all flights running normally. It was also shared that Sacombank might invest in the airline to help its finances.

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 suggested they might stop using their larger, wide-body planes.

Who Runs Bamboo Airways?

Key People Leading the Airline

In 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 after the previous chairman left in March 2022. He held both the chairman and CEO roles until July 27, 2022, when he resigned. After a meeting on August 13, 2022, Nguyen Ngoc Trong became the new chairman.

On May 21, the airline's leaders chose Mr. Nguyen Minh Hai to be the new CEO. He used to be a leader at Vietnam Airlines. Mr. Nguyen Manh Quan, the previous CEO, moved to the board of directors but then resigned after 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 changing its leadership, flight routes, and types of planes.

Who Owns Bamboo Airways?

Bamboo Airways used to be owned by FLC Group. This company works in property, finance, and other areas. FLC Group has been transferring Bamboo Airways to a new "strategic investor." This means FLC Group is slowly stepping away from owning the airline.

In 2023, after the changes with the founders, Him Lam Group became the main owner. Him Lam Group is a big real estate investor in Vietnam. A group of "Japanese-associated investors" also became owners.

Where is Bamboo Airways Based?

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. It has moved to a different area in Hanoi.

Where Does Bamboo Airways Fly?

As of February 2024^[update], Bamboo Airways flies or has flown to these places:

Bamboo Airways' Planes

Planes Bamboo Airways Uses Now

As of April 2024^[update], Bamboo Airways uses planes that they rent. Their current fleet includes:

How Bamboo Airways Plans to Grow Its Fleet

In August 2022, the Chairman, Nguyen Ngoc Trong, said that Bamboo Airways wanted to have 35 planes by the end of 2022. They aimed for 42 planes in 2023 and 100 planes by 2028. Recently, the airline announced that it is changing its fleet. This is to help save money and fly more efficiently. These changes will help them compete better and grow in a stable way.

Planes Bamboo Airways Used to Fly

These types of planes are no longer part of the Bamboo Airways fleet:

Images for kids

• 

  Bamboo Airways' first A321neo at Noi Bai International Airport. This plane was one of the first types used by Bamboo Airways.

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  A Boeing 787-9 that Bamboo Airways used to fly until 2023.

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  A Bamboo Airways A320neo plane with its special Fly Green design at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City.

See also

In Spanish: Bamboo Airways para niños

• Transport in Vietnam