Vietjet Aviation JSC (), operating as VietJet Air, is a Vietnamese low-cost airline based in Hanoi. It was the first privately owned airline to be established in Vietnam, being granted its initial approval to operate by the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance during November 2007. As of its launch in December 2011, it became the second private airline to offer domestic service in Vietnam, as well as the fifth airline overall to offer civil domestic flights. VietJet Air is owned by Sovico Holdings, HDBank, other organisational investors, and individual stakeholders.
Originally planned to be AirAsia's franchise in Vietnam, the carrier's launch was beset by long delays attributed to various causes, such as the Great Recession and regulatory issues as well as other disputes that resulted in the withdrawal of AirAsia, making VietJet an independent business. Despite the setbacks, VietJet Air's first flight was operated on December 25, 2011, flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. The carrier carried its 10 millionth passenger in December 2014, and the 25 millionth passenger in December 2015.
History Foundation delays Founded in 2007, the airline's founding team included Robert Hughes, an American who led the company through its initial year. The airline has its head office in the Vạn Phúc Diplomatic Corps in Ba Đình district, Hanoi"." "VIETJET AVIATION JOINT STOCK COMPANY, Head office: Block 1, Apartment 2C, Van Phuc Diplomatic Corps, Ngoc Khanh Ward, Ba Dinh District, Ha Noi, Viet Nam" It was the first privately owned airline to be established in Vietnam, and as of its launch in December 2011, it became the second private airline (after Air Mekong) to offer domestic service in Vietnam, as well as the fifth airline overall not counting Indochina Airlines, which ceased operations in November 2009 to offer civil domestic flights, after Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, Air Mekong and the Vietnam Air Service Company (VASCO). During its initial plan, the Hanoi-based airline stated its intention to offer flights to Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, gradually expanding its network to include other Asian destinations, such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Melbourne, and cities in South China like Beijing. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao has been the airline's President and CEO since December 2011.
Initially, VietJet had shown the intention to commence flights in late 2008 or early 2009. Throughout the next few years, the expected launch date was repeatedly pushed back, first to late 2009, then mid-2010.VIETJET AIR to launch the first flight in Quarter IV . March 10, 2009. VietJet Air. Airline officials gave different reasons for the delays, including increased fuel prices and other financial problems, as well as unresolved branding conflicts with the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV).VietJet Air seeks to delay launch for 5th time . June 16, 2010. Tuoi Tre.
Although Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia announced in February 2010 that it planned to purchase a 30% stake in the airline through a joint venture agreement, the carrier rescinded its plans in October 2011, citing "a failure to obtain Vietnamese regulatory approvals".
By February 2011, VietJet was said to be completing final stages prior to launch before its operation license expired in June. The airline's maiden flight occurred on December 25, 2011, flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.Flying happy Australian Aviation issiue 356 January 2018 pages 57-59
Operations The Vietnam aviation authority fined VietJet Air US$960 in 2012 for organizing five women of candidates in a local beauty contest to perform a Hawaiian themed-dance without first gaining permission to celebrate its maiden flight to the tourist hub of Nha Trang.
On February 9, 2013, the airline launched its first international flight between Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok, becoming the first Vietnamese private airline to enter the international market.
In February 2014, at the opening of that year's Singapore Airshow, the airline firmed up orders with Airbus for 60 A320 aircraft at a list price of $6.4 billion. Previously, the airline had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus for 92 planes in the A320 family.
In June 2015, at the Paris Air Show, VietJet ordered six additional Airbus A321 single-aisle jets worth $682 million at list prices from Airbus to meet demand on some of its busiest routes, like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; VietJet purchased a further 30 later that year at the Dubai Airshow, which included 21 A321neos along with 9 A321ceos. In May 2016 during a state visit of US President Barack Obama, an order for 200 Boeing 737 MAX aeroplanes was signed, with deliveries to start in 2019. In September 2016, CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao announced an order for 20 A321 single-aisle aircraft from Airbus. The signing took place during a state visit of French President Francois Hollande. During the 2018 Farnborough Airshow, Thai VietJet, VietJet's Thai subsidiary, ordered 100 Boeing 737 MAXs (80 MAX 10s and 20 MAX 8s) and 50 A321neos.
Public offering VietJet completed its initial public offering (IPO) on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HOSE) on February 28, 2017 at an initial price of (US$ ) per share. The share price immediately rose by 20%, the maximum allowed for newly listed companies. The airline raised $167 million from the listing, making it the biggest IPO on the Vietnamese stock market to date and accounting for 1.5% of HOSE's capitalization at the time. The air hostess have been seen dancing around in bikini and doing bikini dance and belly dance.
New routes
On January 15, 2025, VietJet announced the addition of four new routes to China. Commencing March 30, 2025, three new routes will be added to its service namely Ho Chi Minh-Beijing Daxing, Hanoi-Guangzhou and Ho Chi Minh-Guangzhou. Subsequently, another new route between Hanoi and Beijing Daxing will begin on April 1, 2025. A new inaugural route to Auckland will begin in September 2025.
Vietjet has announced its first direct route connecting Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) and Colombo, Sri Lanka (CMB), expected to launch in August 2026 with four round-trip flights per week. The new service, announced on May 8, 2026, aims to strengthen bilateral trade, tourism, and connectivity between Vietnam and South Asia, while acting as a gateway for travelers from Australia, Japan, and South Korea.
Transition to in-house ground services Vietjet took over ground handling services at Tan Son Nhat Airport from former partner Saigon Ground Services (SAGS) on April 20, 2025. The transition coincided with the peak travel season during the Reunification Day and Labour Day holiday in Vietnam, as well as the change of domestic terminals at Tan Son Nhat Airport, leading to mass delays of hundreds of flights, causing significant meltdown across the airline's network. This stirred up serious controversies over the airline, with thousands of passengers requesting an explanation and compensation for the inconvenience and loss they had experienced.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has instructed Vietjet to arrange full staff and equipment deployment and coordinate with other ground service providers to ensure appropriate operation.
In 2025, Vietjet Ground Services was reorganized as Airport NEO Ground Services Company.
Second subsidiaries On May 8, 2025, during the state visit by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam - Tô Lâm to Kazakhstan, Vietjet Air and Qazaq Air announced a strategic partnership to form the new subsidiaries, called Vietjet Qazaqstan.
Corporate affairs Business trends The key trends for VietJet are (as of the financial year ending 31 December): Revenue(VNDtr)Net profit(VNDb)Number ofpassengers(m)Number ofinternationalroutesPassengerload factor(%)On-timeperformance(%)Fleet sizeReferences201742.35,30316.752848654201853.55,33521.366838474 201950.63,80723.785828678202018.26912.1 -748771202112.8805.433679476202240.1−2,26120.648809275202358.323125.3808587202472.01,40425.91018794202582.02,12328.2 86107
Brand identity and livery To attract sponsorships and advertisement contracts, VietJet is known by its strategy to place promoted and sponsored content on its aircraft livery.
Destinations
As of November 2023, VietJet Air serves 13 countries and 99 routes.
Codeshare agreements VietJet Air codeshares with the following airlines:
Japan Airlines Lao Airlines
Interline agreements
Qatar Airways Emperor Airways
Fleet
Current fleet , VietJet Air operates the following aircraft:
+ VietJet Air fleetAircraftIn serviceOrdersPassengersNotes J W Y Total16———1801806———2202203023023011168——230230Some of its fleet were grounded for engine inspection.32240240Equipped with Airbus Cabin Flex configuration.—20TBA8—12—365377Former AirAsia X and Corsair airframes. To be replaced by the Airbus A330neo.—40—56330389Deliveries from 2026.To replace the Airbus A330-300.—30TBAAdditional 50 ordered for subsidiary Thai VietJet Air and a further 20 for Qazaqstan.—100TBAComac C909210——9090To be dry-leased from SPDB.Total104368
Fleet development
On February 26, 2019, VietJet Air signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing, an American aircraft manufacturer, to purchase 100 Boeing 737 MAX 200 aircraft. The signing ceremony took place at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam, in the presence of Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong and U.S. President Donald Trump.
In December 2019, VietJet Air had one of its first Boeing 737 MAX 200 aircraft rolled out from the Boeing factory. However, the plane was not taken up afterwards and was delivered to Akasa Air.
On July 23, 2024, at the Farnborough International Airshow, VietJet Air and Airbus officially finalized a deal worth $7.4 billion for 20 Airbus A330-900 aircraft, following a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the purchase back in February 2024 at the Singapore Airshow. It is the airline's first-ever widebody order. They will replace the carrier's current wide-body fleet of 7 leased Airbus A330-300 aircraft, as well as providing for network expansion.
Between April and October 2025, Vietjet operated two Comac C909 wet-leased from Chengdu Airlines on a 6-month contract, marking the first time Chinese jets were used for domestic flights in Vietnam. The lease was later renewed in November 2025.
On June 17, 2025, at the Paris Airshow, VietJet and Airbus announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for 100 Airbus A321neo jets with an additional 50 options available for purchase at a later date.
Accidents and incidents Since commencing operations, VietJet Air has only suffered non-fatal incidents: June 19, 2014: VietJet Air Flight 8861 from Hanoi to Da Lat mistakenly landed at Cam Ranh International Airport. The reason was revealed to be pilot error. There were two flights, one from Hanoi to Nha Trang and the other from Hanoi to Da Lat, but one of the aircraft experienced technical difficulties and the aircraft was switched to another. Everyone was informed except for the captain of the flight. Everyone involved was suspended for further investigation. October 16, 2014: VietJet Air Flight 8856 departing from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang landed on the wrong runway. The ATC repeatedly told the pilot to land on runway 02L, the pilot also repeated the messages correctly but later landed on runway 20R. The captain and the first officer were suspended. April 2, 2015: a disabled passenger flying back to Hanoi from Da Nang was denied service by two VietJet employees, citing being "unable to move by herself" and "did not notify the ground crew at the airport in time". The carrier later had to publicly apologize to the passenger and fined each employee VND5 million.