The Director General of Bamboo Airways (QH, Hanoi Noi Bai International) says the Vietnamese carrier will return to operating 30 aircraft within three to four years. In the near term, Luong Hoai Nam hopes to see the restructured airline operating around 18 aircraft by the end of 2024. He also confirmed that Bamboo would remain an all-Airbus airline for the foreseeable future.
Over the course of 2023, while undergoing a financial and operational restructuring, Nam said Bamboo had returned 19 aircraft to their lessors, including their sole widebodies - three B787-9s. There are now eleven aircraft remaining, comprising narrowbody Airbus types and ERJ 190-100LRs. The airline has also slashed its payroll costs by around 60%, including terminating foreign pilot contracts.
Earlier this week, Bamboo Airways confirmed it would lease two A320 family types from January 1, 2024, boosting its seat capacity on key domestic routes by 20% over the upcoming New Year period.
Separately. Vietnamese media outlets report that Vietravel Airlines (VU, Hue Phu Bai International) has signed a lease for three additional aircraft, all slated to join the carrier in 2024. That airline operates three A321-200s. Like Bamboo, Vietravel Airlines has fleet growth plans, hoping to scale up to 25 aircraft by the end of 2025 and double that by the end of the decade.
