VietNamNet Bridge – Low-cost airline Vietjet Air today introduced its affiliate company, Vietjet Air Cargo, which will provide global air-cargo transport services.

Since 2013, Vietjet has doubled its fleet and this year the carrier expects to serve six million passengers. This is a significant growth in the challenging aviation industry.

In line with the growth of passenger transport business, Vietjet has taken advantage of its existing commercial flights to expand to the air cargo transport market with 28 routes this year and 39 routes next year. Vietjet’s fleet is expected to reach 30 Airbus A320 aircraft by the end of 2015 in accordance with the cargo transport demand locally and globally.

With Vietjet Air Cargo, Vietjet has formed a new breakthrough business model in which air cargo transport is independent, with the ambition to be the very first air cargo service in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

Vietjet Air Cargo also features a freighter fleet and air charter services nationwide and all over the world. Vietjet Air Cargo will partner with Interlines to develop the cargo transport network.

According to experts, air cargo has huge potential in Vietnam. Currently, this service is mainly exploited by foreign airlines, for the local airlines’ fleet has not been qualified for such services in Vietnam.

According to International Air Transport Association (IATA), Vietnam aviation industry reached 680,000 tons of commodities in 2013, including 300,000 tons of import-export goods. However, air cargo accounted for just 25% of total exports in Vietnam.

This is a surprising number, for commodities transported by air are valuable goods, such as smart-phones, electronic devices, time-sensitive goods (garment, clothes, fresh seafood), and diplomatic items, etc. For electronic equipment in Hanoi only (especially Samsung mobile phones in addition to products of Nokia, Microsoft, Canon, and Foxcon), air cargo was used to transport 40%, which has increased by 10-15% every year. This is a good sign for air cargo in Vietnam with the expected revenue beyond $1 billion in 2015.

In the time of growing demand of air transport and the present economic integration, the establishment of Vietjet Air Cargo is a great opportunity but also a challenge for such a young airline as Vietjet.

With a team of Vietjet professional companies and strategic business development plans, Vietjet Air Cargo is believed to become the leading cargo airline in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

PV