VietJet Air facts for kids
VietJet Air Airbus A330-300 at Melbourne Airport
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| Founded | 30 November 2007 |
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| Commenced operations | 25 December 2011 |
| Operating bases |
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| Frequent-flyer program | Skyjoy |
| Subsidiaries |
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| Fleet size | 94 |
| Destinations | 56 |
| Parent company | Sovico Holdings, HDBank |
| Headquarters | Tan Binh district, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
| Key people | Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo (CEO) |
| Revenue | 40.414 trillion VNĐ ($1.722 billion USD) |
| Total assets | 68 trillion VNĐ ($2.557 billion USD) |
| Employees | 2,000 |
VietJet Air, often just called Vietjet, is a Vietnamese airline. It is known for offering flights at lower prices. Its main office is in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Vietjet was the first airline in Vietnam to be owned by private companies and people. It received permission to start in November 2007. When it began flying in December 2011, it became the second private airline to offer flights within Vietnam. It was also the fifth airline overall to offer domestic flights in the country. Vietjet is owned by companies like Sovico Holdings and HDBank, along with other investors.
The airline's launch faced some delays. These were due to things like a big economic slowdown and problems getting all the rules sorted out. Despite these challenges, Vietjet's first flight took off on December 25, 2011. It flew from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. By December 2014, the airline had flown 10 million passengers. Just one year later, in December 2015, it reached 25 million passengers!
Contents
History of VietJet Air
Starting the Airline
Vietjet was founded in 2007. The first team included an American named Robert Hughes, who helped lead the company in its early days. The airline's main office is in the Ba Dinh district of Hanoi. It was the first airline in Vietnam to be owned privately. When it started flying in December 2011, it became the second private airline in Vietnam. It was also the fifth airline overall to offer flights within the country.
Initially, Vietjet planned to start flights in late 2008 or early 2009. However, the start date kept getting pushed back. Airline officials explained that this was due to rising fuel costs and other money problems. There were also disagreements about the airline's brand name with the aviation authorities.
In February 2010, another airline, AirAsia, planned to buy a part of Vietjet. But in October 2011, AirAsia changed its mind. They said they could not get the necessary approvals from Vietnamese regulators. By February 2011, Vietjet was almost ready to launch. Its first flight finally took off on December 25, 2011, flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.
How VietJet Operates
In 2012, Vietjet Air was fined for an event on a flight to Nha Trang. They had models perform a dance without getting permission first.
On February 9, 2013, Vietjet launched its first international flight. It flew from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok, Thailand. This made Vietjet the first private Vietnamese airline to fly to other countries.
In February 2014, Vietjet ordered 60 Airbus A320 planes. These planes were worth about $6.4 billion. Later, in June 2015, Vietjet ordered six more Airbus A321 jets. In May 2016, during a visit by the US President, Vietjet signed a deal for 200 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes. Deliveries for these planes were set to begin in 2019.
In September 2016, Vietjet ordered 20 more Airbus A321 planes. In 2018, Thai VietJet Air, which is Vietjet's airline in Thailand, ordered 100 Boeing 737 MAX planes and 50 Airbus A321neo planes.
Becoming a Public Company
Vietjet became a public company on February 28, 2017. This means its shares could be bought and sold on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange. The starting price for each share was 90,000 Vietnamese Dong. The share price quickly went up by 20%, which was the most allowed for new companies. The airline raised $167 million from this, making it the biggest public offering in Vietnam at that time.
New Flight Routes
On January 15, 2025, Vietjet announced four new routes to China. Starting March 30, 2025, new flights began from Ho Chi Minh City to Beijing Daxing, and from Hanoi to Guangzhou. Another new route between Hanoi and Beijing Daxing started on April 1, 2025. A new flight to Auckland, New Zealand also began in September 2025.
Taking Over Ground Services
Vietjet started handling its own ground services at Tan Son Nhat International Airport on April 20, 2025. Before this, another company did it. This change happened during a busy holiday season in Vietnam. It also happened when domestic flights at the airport moved to different terminals. These changes led to many flight delays across Vietjet's network. Many passengers were upset and asked for explanations and help.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) told Vietjet to make sure they had enough staff and equipment. They also told Vietjet to work with other ground service companies to keep things running smoothly.
New Subsidiary Airline
On May 8, 2025, Vietjet Air and Qazaq Air announced a new partnership. They formed a new airline called Vietjet Qazaqstan. This happened during a visit by a Vietnamese leader to Kazakhstan.
How VietJet Works as a Business
VietJet's business has grown over the years. The airline has seen its income increase, and it carries millions of passengers each year. It also flies to many international places. Like many airlines, VietJet's business can be affected by world events. For example, during 2020 and 2021, the number of passengers decreased due to global travel changes. However, by 2023, the airline was carrying more passengers than ever before.
Where VietJet Flies
As of November 2023, VietJet Air flies to 13 countries and has 99 different flight routes.
Airline Partnerships
VietJet Air works with other airlines to offer more flight options. This is called a "codeshare agreement." It means you can book a flight with Vietjet, but part of your journey might be on another airline's plane.
- Japan Airlines
- Lao Airlines
- Thai VietJet Air (which is a part of Vietjet)
Vietjet also has "interline agreements" with some airlines. This helps passengers connect between different flights more easily.
VietJet's Fleet of Airplanes
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Current Airplanes
As of April 2025, VietJet Air uses the following types of airplanes:
- Airbus A320-200: These planes can carry 180 passengers.
- Airbus A321-200: These planes can carry 220 or 230 passengers.
- Airbus A321neo: These are newer versions of the A321. Some can carry 230 passengers, and others 240. Some of these planes are currently being checked for their engines.
- Airbus A321XLR: Vietjet has ordered 20 of these planes.
- Airbus A330-300: These larger planes can carry 377 passengers. Vietjet has 7 of these.
- Airbus A330-900: Vietjet has ordered 40 of these larger planes. They will start arriving in 2026 and will replace the A330-300s.
- Boeing 737 MAX 8 and Boeing 737 MAX 200: Vietjet has ordered 150 of these Boeing planes.
- Comac C909: Vietjet has 2 of these planes, which can carry 90 passengers.
In total, VietJet has 97 airplanes in service and has ordered 287 more.
Developing the Fleet
On February 26, 2019, VietJet Air signed an agreement with Boeing, an American plane maker. They planned to buy 100 Boeing 737 MAX 200 aircraft. This agreement was signed in Hanoi, with the presidents of Vietnam and the U.S. present.
In December 2019, one of VietJet Air's first Boeing 737 MAX 200 planes was ready. However, the airline did not take the plane at that time. It was later given to another airline.
On July 23, 2024, VietJet Air and Airbus made a final deal for 20 Airbus A330-900 planes. This was a big deal worth $7.4 billion. These are large planes that will replace Vietjet's current large planes and help the airline fly to more places.
On June 17, 2025, VietJet and Airbus announced another agreement. This was for 100 Airbus A321neo jets, with an option to buy 50 more later.
Flight Incidents
Since it started flying, VietJet Air has had some incidents, but none of them have caused serious harm.
- June 19, 2014: A VietJet Air flight from Hanoi to Da Lat landed at the wrong airport. This happened because of a pilot error. The pilots were suspended while the event was investigated.
- October 16, 2014: A VietJet Air flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang landed on the wrong runway. The pilots were suspended.
- April 2, 2015: A passenger who used a wheelchair was not allowed to board a flight. Vietjet later apologized and fined the employees involved.
- September 30, 2015: A VietJet Air plane was hit by a bird while landing in Hanoi. The plane landed safely, but its nose was damaged.
- January 28, 2018: VietJet caused some discussion by having models in bikinis on a flight bringing a football team home. The CEO of Vietjet later apologized.
- September 7, 2018: A VietJet Air flight from Hanoi to Taichung flew through a hailstorm. The cockpit window was damaged, and the plane had to return to Hanoi.
- November 29, 2018: A new VietJet Air plane had a hard landing at Buon Ma Thuot Airport. The plane lost both front tires, and six passengers had minor injuries. The pilots were later fired and suspended. The plane was repaired.
- July 12, 2019: A VietJet Air flight from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City went onto the wrong taxiway after landing. This made another plane have to go around and try to land again. The incident was investigated.
- June 14, 2020: A VietJet Air flight from Phu Quoc to Ho Chi Minh City slid off the runway during landing. This caused delays for other flights. Passengers were safely taken off the plane. The airline said heavy rain was the cause.
See also
In Spanish: VietJet Air para niños
- Thai VietJet Air
