Pacific Airlines facts for kids

Pacific Airlines is an airline from Vietnam. It is known for offering flights at lower prices. The airline's main office is in Ho Chi Minh City, and its main airport base is Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

From 2008 to 2020, the airline was called Jetstar Pacific Airlines. This was because it was part of the Jetstar group of airlines. Currently, Pacific Airlines has temporarily stopped its flights. The company is working to reorganize and plans to start flying again soon.

How Pacific Airlines Started and Grew

Pacific Airlines began its journey in December 1990. It started flying in April 1991. At first, it mainly carried goods on special charter flights. These flights went to countries like Thailand, Pakistan, and France.

In 1993, the airline made a deal with United Airlines. This deal was about training staff. It also planned for future flights between the US and Vietnam.

Working with Other Airlines

In 1996, Pacific Airlines joined with other air service companies. They formed the Vietnam Airlines Corporation. During this time, Pacific Airlines also rented a Boeing 737-300 plane from a Swiss airline. Besides cargo, Pacific Airlines started flying passengers to places like Hanoi, Hong Kong, and Taipei.

By 2001, the airline was doing well. It made about US$48 million in sales. However, from 2001 to 2004, several big events caused problems. These included the September 11 attacks, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and the SARS outbreak. Oil prices also went up. These issues, along with some bad business choices, caused the airline to lose money.

Because of these losses, the government took over most of Pacific Airlines' shares. They then looked for new investors to help the airline.

Becoming Jetstar Pacific

A Pacific Airlines Boeing 737-300 plane in Berlin in 1996.

In 2007, an Australian airline called Qantas became interested in Pacific Airlines. Qantas wanted to grow its low-cost flights in Southeast Asia through its Jetstar brand.

In July 2007, Qantas bought 18% of Pacific Airlines. They planned to increase this to 30% later. The airline then changed its business model to focus on low-cost flights. On May 23, 2008, it was renamed Jetstar Pacific Airlines. It became part of the Jetstar network.

Jetstar Pacific started its low-cost flights to Nha Trang and Da Nang. However, high fuel costs caused some problems. The airline lost money in 2008.

Modernizing the Fleet

A retired Boeing 737-400 of Jetstar Pacific. These planes were replaced by newer Airbus A320s.

In 2009, Jetstar Pacific began to update its planes. It replaced its older Boeing 737-400s with newer Airbus A320 planes. The airline made a profit in July 2009. It also carried over 1.5 million passengers in the first half of that year.

However, there were some issues with the airline's name. The aviation authority in Vietnam asked the airline to change its Jetstar brand and logo. They worried that people might get confused with other Jetstar airlines. They also thought a foreign airline might use the brand to advertise its products.

An early Jetstar Pacific A320 that had to fly with a plain gray paint job because of branding issues.

The usual Jetstar Pacific design on an Airbus A320. This design was changed a bit to meet Vietnam's rules.

In 2012, Vietnam Airlines bought a large part of Jetstar Pacific. This meant Vietnam Airlines now owned 70% of the company. As part of its plans, Jetstar Pacific aimed to have many more Airbus A320 planes by 2015 and 2020.

Returning to Pacific Airlines

In June 2020, Vietnam Airlines announced that it would take over all of Qantas's shares. This made Vietnam Airlines own 98% of Jetstar Pacific. The airline then stopped using the Jetstar brand. It went back to its original name, Pacific Airlines. The system for booking tickets also changed to the one used by Vietnam Airlines.

Current Challenges and Future Plans

About a year after Qantas left, in June 2021, Vietnam Airlines said that the COVID-19 pandemic had caused big financial problems for Pacific Airlines. They said the airline was in a very serious situation.

In March 2024, Pacific Airlines announced that it had temporarily stopped all its flights. This was due to serious financial difficulties. Vietnam Airlines is helping all customers who were affected by this. The company is working on a plan to reorganize. They hope to start flying again as soon as possible.

Where Pacific Airlines Flew

Pacific Airlines used to fly to many places within Vietnam. In 2020, it had over 40 daily flights to different cities. Its main base was Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

Shared Flights

Pacific Airlines had a special agreement called a codeshare agreement with Vietnam Airlines. This means they sometimes sold seats on each other's flights.

Pacific Airlines' Planes

The only Airbus A320-200 painted in Pacific Airlines' colors.

As of February 2024, Pacific Airlines has the following planes:

See also

• Air transport in Vietnam