Foundation delays
Founded in 2007, the airline's founding team included Robert Hughes, an American who led the company through its initial year.[9] The airline has its head office in the Vạn Phúc Diplomatic Corps in Ba Đình district, Hanoi[10] It was the first privately owned airline to be established in Vietnam,[4] 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).[3] In 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, and cities in southern China.[11] The airline's president and CEO is Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao from December 2011.[12]
Initially, VietJet had shown the intention to commence flights in late 2008 or early 2009.[11] Throughout the next few years, the expected launch date was repeatedly pushed back, first to late 2009, then mid-2010.[13] 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).[14]
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in February 2010 that it planned to purchase a 30% stake in the airline through a joint venture agreement, the carrier rescinded its plans in October 2011, citing "a failure to obtain Vietnamese regulatory approvals".[15][16] By February 2011, VietJet was said to be "completing final stages" prior to launch before its operation license expired in June.[17] The airline's maiden flight was eventually launched on 25 December 2011, flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.[6]
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.[18]
On 9 February 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.[19] Previously, the airline had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus for 92 planes in the A320 family.[20]
In June 2015, at the Paris Air Show, VietJet ordered six additional Airbus A321 single-aisle jets worth $682 million at list prices from Airbus to meet demand on some of its busiest routes;[21]
Public offering
VietJet completed its initial public offering (IPO) on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HOSE) on 28 February 2017 at an initial price of 90,000 VND (US$ ) 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[26] and accounting for 1.5% of HOSE's capitalization at the time.[27]
New routes
On 15 January 2025, VietJet announced the addition of four new routes to China. Commencing 30 March 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 1 April 2025.[28] A new inaugural route to Auckland will begin in September 2025.[29]
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.[30]
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.
2nd 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, Vietjet Qazaqstan.[31]
