Vietravel Airlines to start flying next Monday

Vietravel Airlines is scheduled to make its maiden flight on January 25, and began ticket sales on Tuesday, its CEO, Vu Duc Bien, said.

Vietnam’s newest carrier will operate one or two flights a day each from HCMC and Hanoi to major tourist destinations like Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Da Nang, and Hue.

It has a fleet of two Airbus A321CEO aircraft and a third is expected to arrive on January 21 to meet the increased travel demand during the Lunar New Year Tet in mid-February.

The carrier hopes to break even in its second year of operations.

Vietravel Airlines has hired some 200 pilots and flight attendants and is looking to expand its fleet to 30 to prepare for international operations, flying to Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, the Middle East, and Northeast Asia, markets that Vietravel, the travel company that owns it, serves.

It is the sixth carrier in what is a fiercely competitive aviation market after Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, Jetstar Pacific, Vietnam Air Services Company, and Bamboo Airways.