Pacific Airlines facts for kids
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| Founded | December 1990 |
|---|---|
| Commenced operations | April 1991 |
| Operating bases |
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| Frequent-flyer program | Lotusmiles |
| Fleet size | 1 |
| Destinations | 22 |
| Parent company | Vietnam Airlines (98%) |
| Headquarters | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
| Key people | |
| Website | |
Pacific Airlines is a Vietnamese airline that offers affordable flights. Its main office is in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The airline's main base for flights is Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
From 2008 to 2020, the airline was known as Jetstar Pacific Airlines. It was part of the Jetstar group during that time. Pacific Airlines started flying in 1991, first carrying cargo. Later, it began offering passenger flights.
In 2007, an Australian airline called Qantas bought a part of Pacific Airlines. This made Pacific Airlines change its business model to offer low-cost flights. It then became part of the Jetstar network. In 2012, Vietnam Airlines bought most of the company. By late 2020, Qantas sold its shares to Vietnam Airlines, and the airline changed its name back to Pacific Airlines.
In March 2024, Pacific Airlines temporarily stopped all its flights. This was because of money problems. The airline started flying again in June 2024 after making some changes. It now uses airplanes from Vietnam Airlines.
Contents
History of Pacific Airlines
How the Airline Started
Pacific Airlines was created in December 1990. It began flying in April 1991. It was the first airline in Vietnam to allow foreign investment. At first, Pacific Airlines flew special cargo flights to places like Thailand and France.
In 1993, the airline made a deal with United Airlines. This deal was about training staff and working together on flights between the US and Vietnam. In 1996, Pacific Airlines joined with other air service companies to form the Vietnam Airlines Corporation. Around this time, Pacific Airlines also started flying to Hanoi, Hong Kong, and Taipei.
In 2001, the airline made US$48 million from 3,600 flights. It used Airbus A310 and Airbus A321 planes. However, from 2001 to 2004, the airline lost money. This was due to world events like the September 11 attacks and the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak. It was also due to rising oil prices and some bad business choices. Because of these losses, the government took over most of the airline's shares in 2004.
Becoming Jetstar Pacific
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| Commenced operations | 23 May 2008 (as Jetstar Pacific) |
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| Ceased operations | 29 July 2020 (rebranded to Pacific Airlines) |
| Operating bases |
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| Fleet size | Up to 18 |
| Destinations | Up to 33 |
| Parent company | Vietnam Airlines |
| Headquarters | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
| Website | jetstar.com |
In 2007, the Australian airline Qantas decided to invest in Pacific Airlines. Qantas wanted to grow its low-cost airline business, Jetstar, in Southeast Asia. In July, Qantas bought 18% of Pacific Airlines. The plan was to make Pacific Airlines a low-cost airline. It would fly to nearby countries with a fleet of Airbus A320 planes. In May 2008, the airline was renamed Jetstar Pacific Airlines.
Jetstar Pacific started its low-cost flights to Nha Trang and Da Nang. However, high fuel costs caused the airline to lose money in 2008.
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In 2009, Jetstar Pacific started to update its fleet. It replaced older Boeing 737-400 planes with newer Airbus A320s. The airline made a profit in July 2009 after a long time of losing money. It also carried more than 1.5 million passengers in the first half of 2009.
However, there were some issues with the airline's name. The aviation authority in Vietnam said the airline needed to change its Jetstar brand and logo. They worried that people might get confused with Jetstar Airways. They also worried that a foreign airline might use the Jetstar Pacific name to advertise its own products.
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In 2010, there were investigations into financial losses related to fuel buying. This caused delays in the airline's growth plans. The airline also faced ongoing money problems in 2011. These included changing fuel prices and fees for renting and maintaining its planes.
In January 2012, the Vietnamese government confirmed that Vietnam Airlines would take over most of the shares in Jetstar Pacific. This happened in February 2012. This move was part of Vietnam Airlines' plan to have its own low-cost airline.
Returning to Pacific Airlines
In June 2020, Vietnam Airlines announced it would take over all of Qantas's shares. This increased Vietnam Airlines' ownership of Jetstar Pacific to 98%. The airline stopped using the Jetstar brand and went back to its original name, Pacific Airlines. Its ticket system also changed to the one used by Vietnam Airlines.
Financial Challenges and Restart
About a year after Qantas left, in June 2021, Vietnam Airlines said that the COVID-19 pandemic had made Pacific Airlines' financial situation very serious. There was a risk that the airline might go out of business. Vietnam Airlines looked for new investors to help Pacific Airlines.
In March 2024, Pacific Airlines announced it would temporarily stop its flights due to serious difficulties. Vietnam Airlines helped all the affected customers. The airline started flying again in June 2024. It now uses three Airbus A321 planes from Vietnam Airlines.
Where Pacific Airlines Flies
As of 2020, Pacific Airlines flies more than 40 times a day to different cities within Vietnam. Its main base is Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
Pacific Airlines has a special agreement called a codeshare agreement with Vietnam Airlines. This means they can sell tickets on each other's flights.
Pacific Airlines Fleet
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As of June 26, 2024, Pacific Airlines operates the following aircraft:
| Aircraft | In fleet | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | ||||
| Airbus A321-200 | — | 2 | 8 | 195 | 203 | These planes are rented from Vietnam Airlines. |
| 1 | — | 16 | 168 | 184 | ||
| Total | 1 | 3 | ||||
Past Aircraft
Pacific Airlines has used these types of planes in the past:
- Airbus A310-300
- Airbus A320-200
- Airbus A321-100
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- Boeing 737-200
- Boeing 737-300
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A pair of Jetstar Pacific 737-400 at Noi Bai in 2010. - Boeing 737-400
- McDonnell Douglas MD-82
- McDonnell Douglas MD-90
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See also
In Spanish: Pacific Airlines para niños
- Air transport in Vietnam
