Bamboo Airways – of the Viet Bamboo Airlines Co., owned by property developer FLC Group – plans to see its first flight take off on October 10.

Tickets are expected to be available for sale on September 2 along with various promotional programmes, some of which offer attractive packages for flight tickets with FLC golfing and accommodation services.

The Viet Bamboo Airlines Co., was established in 2017 with a charter capital of 700 billion VND (31.4 million USD).

According to Director of Bamboo Airways Dang Tat Thang, the airline will take a different path from its domestic counterparts, elaborating that it will focus on direct services connecting international markets with emerging tourist destinations in Vietnam, instead of major urban areas where the aviation infrastructure is already overloaded.

Priority will be given to localities where FLC has built major tourist complexes, including Quang Ninh and Hai Phong in the north; Thanh Hoa and Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh province) in the central region; and Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa province) and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang province) in the south, he said.

The FLC has geared Bamboo Airways as a ‘hybrid’ airline, blending low-cost traits with those of traditional or full-service carriers. The group has also invested in infrastructure for aviation operations, such as upgrading Phu Cat Airport in Quy Nhon City and key roads connecting the airport to Nhon Hoi Economic Zone.

Prior to the Government’s approval of its operation licence on July 9, 2018, the airline had already signed deals worth a total of 8.6 billion USD to purchase 44 Boeing and Airbus aircraft in March and June.

Among its latest moves, Bamboo Airlines raised its charter capital to 1.3 trillion VND (56.69 million USD), which was important for the airline to run a fleet of over 30 aircraft.

According to the Ministry of Transport, the aviation market’s annual growth rate will be 16 percent from now to 2020, and 8 percent for 2020-2030. Local airlines are expected to serve 64 million passengers by 2020 and 131 million passengers by 2030. -VNA