VietJet Air facts for kids
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| Founded | 30 November 2007 |
|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 25 December 2011 |
| Operating bases |
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| Frequent-flyer program | VietJet Skyclub |
| Subsidiaries | Thai VietJet Air |
| Fleet size | 77 |
| Destinations | 115 |
| Parent company | Sovico Holdings, HDBank |
| Headquarters | Ba Đình district, Hanoi, Vietnam |
| Key people | Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao (CEO) |
| Revenue | 40.414 trillion VNĐ ($1.722 billion USD) |
| Total assets | 68 trillion VNĐ ($2.557 billion USD) |
| Employees | 2,000 |
VietJet Air is a Vietnamese airline that offers flights at lower prices. It is also known as Vietjet Aviation Joint Stock Company. The airline is based in Hanoi, Vietnam. It was the first private airline to start in Vietnam.
VietJet Air got permission to fly in November 2007. It began flying in December 2011. This made it the second private airline in Vietnam to offer flights within the country. It was also the fifth airline overall to offer domestic flights. VietJet Air is owned by Sovico Holdings, HDBank, and other investors.
The airline's launch was delayed for a while. This was due to things like a worldwide economic slowdown and some rules that needed to be sorted out. Even with these delays, VietJet Air'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. A year later, in December 2015, it reached 25 million passengers.
Contents
History of VietJet Air
Starting the Airline
VietJet Air was founded in 2007. Its first head office was in Ba Đình district, Hanoi. It was the first airline in Vietnam to be owned by private companies, not the government. When it started flying in December 2011, it became the second private airline to offer flights inside Vietnam. It was also the fifth airline overall to offer domestic flights.
At first, VietJet planned to start flights in late 2008 or early 2009. But the start date kept getting pushed back. Reasons for the delays included higher fuel prices and other money problems. There were also some disagreements about the airline's brand name with the aviation authorities.
A Malaysian airline, AirAsia, planned to buy a part of VietJet in 2010. However, they changed their minds in 2011. This was because they could not get the necessary approvals from Vietnamese officials. Finally, VietJet's first flight happened on December 25, 2011. It flew from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.
How VietJet Air Operates
In 2012, VietJet Air was fined for an event on a flight. They had models perform a dance without getting permission first. This happened on their first flight to Nha Trang, a popular tourist city.
On February 9, 2013, VietJet launched its first international flight. This flight went from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok. This made VietJet the first private Vietnamese airline to fly to other countries.
VietJet Air has ordered many planes over the years. In 2014, they ordered 60 Airbus A320 planes. In 2015, they ordered more Airbus A321 jets. In May 2016, during a visit by US President Barack Obama, VietJet signed a deal for 200 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes. Deliveries for these planes were set to start in 2019. In 2018, VietJet's airline in Thailand, Thai VietJet, also ordered many Boeing and Airbus planes.
Becoming a Public Company
VietJet Air 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 initial price for each share was 90,000 Vietnamese Dong. The price quickly went up by 20%, which was the most allowed for new companies.
Through this, the airline raised $167 million. This was the biggest public offering on the Vietnamese stock market at that time.
VietJet Air Business Facts
VietJet Air has grown a lot since it started. In 2017, it flew 16.7 million passengers. By 2023, this number had grown to 25.3 million passengers. The airline's fleet size also increased. In 2017, it had 54 planes, and by 2023, it had 105 planes. VietJet has also expanded its international routes, serving 80 international routes in 2023.
Where VietJet Air Flies
As of November 2023, VietJet Air flies to 13 countries and has 99 different routes. You can find a full list of places they fly to here: List of VietJet Air destinations.
VietJet Air has agreements with other airlines to share flights. This means you can book a flight with VietJet, but part of your journey might be on another airline's plane. This helps airlines offer more destinations to their passengers.
These airlines include:
- Japan Airlines
- Thai VietJet Air (which is a part of VietJet)
- Virgin Australia
VietJet Air Fleet (Planes)
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Current Planes in Use
As of March 2024, VietJet Air uses only Airbus planes. Here are the types of aircraft they have:
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Total Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 17 | — | 162 or 180 | |
| Airbus A321-200 | 35 | — | 212, 220, or 230 | |
| Airbus A321neo | 25 | 103 | 230 or 240 | Some planes are paused for engine checks. |
| Airbus A321XLR | — | 20 | TBA | |
| Airbus A330-300 | 7 | 2 | 377 | |
| Airbus A330-900 | — | 20 | TBA | Will be delivered from 2026 and will replace the Airbus A330-300. |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | — | 66 | TBA | |
| Boeing 737 MAX 10 | — | 106 | TBA | The first 50 planes will go to the Thai VietJet Air. Deliveries from 2024 to 2028. |
| Boeing 737 MAX 200 | — | 28 | TBA | |
| Total | 84 | 345 | ||
New Plane Orders
On February 26, 2019, VietJet Air signed an agreement with Boeing, an American plane maker. This was to buy 100 Boeing 737 MAX 200 aircraft. The signing happened in Hanoi, with the presidents of Vietnam and the U.S. present.
In February 2024, VietJet Air signed another agreement with Airbus. This was to buy 20 large Airbus A330-900neo planes. These new planes will replace the current Airbus A330-300 aircraft. They will also help the airline fly to more places.
VietJet Air Services
VietJet Air offers three main types of tickets or service options:
- Eco (Economy)
- Deluxe
- Skyboss/Skyboss Business
Flight Incidents and Safety
Since it started flying, VietJet Air has had some incidents, but none of them have caused serious harm or deaths. Here are a few examples:
- June 19, 2014: A flight from Hanoi to Da Lat landed at the wrong airport. This was due to a pilot mistake. Everyone on board was safe, and the pilots were investigated.
- October 16, 2014: A flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang landed on the wrong runway. Air traffic control gave the correct instructions, but the pilot landed elsewhere. The pilots involved were suspended.
- April 2, 2015: A passenger who needed help moving was not allowed to board a flight. VietJet later apologized publicly to the passenger and fined the employees involved.
- September 30, 2015: A 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 later apologized for this.
- September 7, 2018: A flight from Hanoi to Taichung flew through a hailstorm. This damaged the cockpit window, and the plane had to return to Hanoi.
- November 29, 2018: A new plane had a hard landing in Buon Ma Thuot. The plane lost both front tires, and six passengers had minor injuries. The pilots were later removed from duty.
- July 12, 2019: A flight from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City entered the wrong taxiway after landing. This caused another plane to have to go around. The incident was investigated.
- June 14, 2020: A flight from Phu Quoc to Ho Chi Minh City slid off the runway during landing. This happened because of heavy rain from a tropical storm. All passengers were safely evacuated, and no one was hurt.
- June 28, 2023: A flight from Seoul, South Korea, to Phu Quoc had to land in Laoag, Philippines, because of a technical issue. All 214 passengers and crew were safe.
See also
In Spanish: VietJet Air para niños
- Thai VietJet Air
