AIRLINE Suspended - Bamboo Airways suspends scheduled operations

Effective August 1, 2026, Bamboo Airways has suspended all its scheduled commercial operations.

Bamboo Airways was founded in 2017 and commenced operations in January 2019.

Over the years, Bamboo Airways operated a fleet of 44 different aircraft:

one A319,

sixteen A320s, 

six A320neos, 

three A321s, 

six A321neos, 

one B737-900ER, 

three B787-9s, 

five Embraer ERJ190s, and 

five ERJ195s.

 

FLEET - Bamboo Airways (Vietnam) wet-leased an Airbus A320 from FlyOne (Moldova/Romania) for capacity

Bamboo Airways (FlyOne) / ER-00005 / Airbus A320-214

Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat - VVTS, Vietnam

Photo: Nguyen Huu Duong

FLEET - Viet Nam's Bamboo Airways to exit E190 ops

Bamboo Airways (QH, Hanoi Noi Bai International) has reached an agreement with CDB Aviation to return three leased ERJ 190-100LRs by the end of March and will transition to an all-Airbus fleet as part of a broader restructuring of the carrier. Bamboo confirmed the type's exit on February 23.

The three aircraft are VN-A261 (msn 19000605) which was delivered to Bamboo in early July 2021; VN-A262 (msn 19000613), which was sent to the airline in early October 2021; and VN-A266 (msn 19000570), delivered in late January 2021. The airline cited operational costs, fuel efficiency, and pilot training requirements as the reasons to phase out the Embraer jets. Flight tracking data shows all three are currently deployed on scheduled services.

According to ch-aviation schedules data, the E190s currently operate all or some flights on routes between Hanoi and Con Dao, Da Nang, Dong Hoi, Hue Phu Bai International, and Nha Trang Cam Ranh, and between Ho Chi Minh City and both Con Dao and Da Nang. As a result of the decision to end E190 ops, Bamboo Airways will exit Con Dao as that airport cannot support A320 operations. Bamboo Airways did not respond to a request for comment.

Following the return of the E190s to CDB Aviation, Bamboo will be left with two A320-200s, two A320-200Ns, and four A321-200s. After the carrier flirted with bankruptcy last year and decided to restructure, it has returned many aircraft to their owners, including its entire B787 fleet, resulting in a smaller airline flying to fewer destinations. However, it has said it would like to start rebuilding capacity and is targeting 18 aircraft by the end of 2024.

CH Aviation

Photo: Bamboo Airways

 

SPECIAL COLORS - Bamboo Airways (Nordica) / Airbus A320-214 / ES-NAB

Thanh Ho
 

Bamboo Airways / B787-9 / VN-A818

Ton Jochems - AMS
 

Bamboo Airways schedules European, Australian ops

Bamboo Airways (QH, Hanoi) has scheduled its intercontinental debut for later this month, with Melbourne Tullamarine planned for February 19, 2022, and to Frankfurt Int'l for February 25.

The Vietnamese carrier initially plans to operate to each of the destinations 2x weekly, using B787-9s. Services to Australia will operate from Ho Chi Minh City and will launch over a month earlier than previously planned, while flights to Germany will depart from Hanoi, the ch-aviation schedules module shows. The airline plans to add its third intercontinental route, from Hanoi to London Heathrow, on March 22, 2022.

Bamboo Airways said it would consider adding a Ho Chi Minh City-Frankfurt route as soon as market conditions improve. Given the potential it sees in the German market, it said it would also contemplate adding Berlin Brandenburg Int'l and Munich to its network going forward.

In an interview with VietnamNet, Chief Executive Dang Tat Thang said the airline was also planning to launch flights to San Francisco, CA later this year. Bamboo Airways previously said it was aiming to debut transpacific operations in late 2021 or early 2022.

The carrier currently operates one A319-100, six A320-200s, six A320-200Ns, three A321-200s, four A321-200Ns, two A321-200NXs, three B787-9s, and five E190s. Dang said Bamboo Airways is planning to grow its fleet to 100 aircraft within the next six years and is already in the process of securing new inventory.

He also reaffirmed plans to list Bamboo Airways either in Viet Nam or internationally in 2022.

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Bamboo Airways secures LAX, SFO slots

 

There are currently no nonstop flights between Vietnam and the US.


Bamboo Airways’ ambitions of serving the US market have moved a step closer after the Vietnamese airline was granted takeoff and landing slots at two airports in California.

The carrier intends provide scheduled service to Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) from Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), starting on Sept. 1.

Although the exact schedules are yet to be published, the airline said flights will arrive in LAX and 9.30 a.m. and depart for SGN at 12.30 p.m. The SFO service will land at 10 a.m. and leave for SGN at 1 p.m.

Frequencies are expected to be 4X-weekly initially, increasing to daily as COVID-19 travel restrictions ease. Bamboo plans to use Boeing 787-9 aircraft on the two routes.

Chairman Trinh Van Quyet added that the carrier also expects to begin operating charter flights to the US from July.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport is currently finalizing procedures to designate Bamboo the rights for Vietnam-US charter flights following a proposal made by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam in April.

This comes after the US Transportation Department (DOT) granted Bamboo approval to operate 12 charter or repatriation flights to the US in November 2020 following Vietnam’s upgrade to Category 1 rating by the FAA in February 2019.

Although there are currently no nonstop flights between Vietnam and the US, Vietnam Airlines operated a number of repatriation flights between Hanoi (HAN) and Houston George Bush (IAH), SFO and Washington Dulles (IAD) during 2020.



The latest schedules data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser shows the carrier has also filed plans to begin a 2X-weekly SGN-SFO service from Aug. 3, 2021 on board A350-900 aircraft.

Routes Online

Bamboo Airways (Vietnam) plans to launch flights to new destinations including the US, Australia, Germany, Japan and the UK in 2021 if the pandemic situation improved. Following charter flights to the US in July, the carrier plans commercial service between Ho Chi Minh City and San Francisco in September

 

Bamboo Airways warned about overselling tickets

 

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has ordered Bamboo Airways (QH, Hanoi) not to exceed the number of tickets it sells for the slots it has been allocated, the Vietnamese government’s information news site Báo Chính Phủ reported on April 5.

The order instructed Bamboo Airways “to strictly implement ticket sales in accordance with the slots for the number of takeoffs confirmed,” after the authority found that the airline “had a tendency to open sales” that did not match the confirmed slots.

The move followed passenger complaints in recent weeks about several flights the airline had allegedly cancelled or delayed, in particular on the route between Hanoi and Da Nang towards the end of March.

If the carrier chooses to ignore the warning and continues to oversell, the authority warned, it will not be allocated any further slots for the next six months.

On April 3, Bamboo published an apology for “some changes in the flight schedules over a short period in early April,” which it blamed on “the impact of runway repairs” taking place at Hanoi airport.

However, representatives of the airport told the government news site that the runway maintenance work had not affected airlines’ flights during the period in question, adding that the airport had now completed the upgrade.

On January 25, the civil aviation authority had already issued a written warning to Bamboo Airways, Vietnam Airlines (VN, Hanoi), and VietJetAir (VJ, Hanoi) about opening ticket sales that exceeded their confirmed numbers of slots, telling them to stop the practice in time for the annual Tết, or Lunar New Year holiday, which took place on February 1.

Bamboo Airways currently deploys its all-leased fleet of 29 aircraft on 54 routes, all of them domestic, the ch-aviation capacities module shows. It operates 247 frequencies on 16 routes from Hanoi, including its 21x weekly service to Da Nang.

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Bamboo Airways adds first in-house E190

 

Bamboo Airways (QH, Hanoi) began in-house Embraer operations on February 1, 2021, with the deployment of ERJ 190-100LR VN-A266 (msn 19000570), Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.

The 8.4-year-old regional jet, owned by CDB Aviation, was operated by China Southern Airlines (CZ, Guangzhou) through February 2020, the ch-aviation fleets history module shows. It was originally due to deliver to MAI - Myanmar Airways International (8M, Yangon) in 2021. However, due to the ongoing severe restrictions on travel in and to Myanmar, preceding the recent military coup d'etat likely to further dampen demand, the aircraft was transferred to the Vietnamese carrier.

While Bamboo Airways has yet to file schedules for the E190, ADS-B data indicates that it is currently deploying the aircraft from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, Banmethuot, and Pleiku.

The fast-growing Vietnamese carrier already wet-leases five Embraer aircraft under long-term deals: two ERJ 190-200LRs from Great Dane Airlines (DW, Aalborg) and three ERJ 190-200ARs from LOT Polish Airlines (LO, Warsaw Chopin). In September 2020, Bamboo Airways pledged to add up to ten E190/E195s in the "short-term".

As Vietnam has largely contained the COVID-19 pandemic with less than 2,000 registered cases to date, the country's booming domestic market is expected to recover much faster than the global average.

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Embraer E195s make Vietnam operational debut with Bamboo Airways

Singapore, 29 September, 2020 – Two Embraer E195s have commenced operations in Vietnam with Bamboo Airways, offering the first jet service to Con Dao from Hanoi, Vinh and Hai Phong. Con Dao Island and the surrounding National Park is an area of outstanding natural beauty 1400km (760nm) from the capital Hanoi, off the southern coast of Vietnam. The popular tourist destination, featuring an archipelago of 16 islands, is currently only served by turboprop aircraft due to its short runway, light pavement, and lack of fuel provision.


The Embraer E195s join Bamboo Airways’ fleet on a wet-lease agreement with Denmark based Great Dane Airlines, adding to the growing number of E-Jet operators in the Asia Pacific region.


“Bamboo Airways is proud to offer jet-operated flights to Con Dao with the E195s,” said Mr. Dang Tat Thang – Executive Vice Chairman of Bamboo Airways. “The aircraft’s short runway performance makes it an ideal aircraft for flights to and from Con Dao. The two by two seating will offer our passengers a high level of comfort in a modern, spacious aircraft, including the one-of-its-kind Business Class on the route to Con Dao.”


“Congratulations to Bamboo Airways on this strategic move. The E-Jets will give them great flexibility both in performance as well as in economics,” says Raul Villaron, Vice President, Asia Pacific for Embraer’s commercial aviation unit. “The E195’s fuel efficiency and economics enables Bamboo Airways to cost effectively manage fluctuating demand and operate lower density routes with the right sized aircraft. We welcome Bamboo Airways to the Embraer family and our global team are here to support them.”

Bamboo Airways is the first to operate direct flights to Con Dao from three cities; the capital Hanoi, Hai Phong city in the North and Vinh city in the central area. There will be two flights a day on the Hanoi - Con Dao route and daily flights from Hai Phong and Vinh to Con Dao in the initial phase. Bamboo Airways are operating the aircraft in a comfortable single class configuration with 118 seats.




Embraer is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft up to 150 seats with more than 100 customers from all over the world. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged more than 1,800 orders and 1,600 aircraft have been delivered. Today, E-Jets are flying in the fleet of more than 80 customers in some 50 countries. The versatile 70 to 150-seat family is flying with low-cost airlines as well as with regional and mainline carriers.




Follow us on Twitter: @Embraer




About Bamboo Airways

Bamboo Airways to debut European operatins by 220

Bamboo Airways plans to start its first service to Europe this spring, the airline said on January 14. Its overseas network currently includes services to Taiwan, Macao, and South Korea only.
There are currently no direct flights between Vietnam and the Czech Republic. Vietnam Airlines:

operates European services to:

Frankfurt Int'l, 

London Heathrow,

Moscow Sheremetyevo, 

Paris CDG.

Bamboo Airways receives first B787s

Bamboo Airways (QH, Hanoi) has taken delivery of its first new-build B787-9 and is set to shortly receive another second-hand unit of the type.

According to Vietnamese media, the airline took delivery of VN-A819 (msn 62736) at Boeing's Charleston, SC site on December 9. It is equipped with 294 passenger seats, including 26 in business class and the remainder in economy. The aircraft, which was initially ordered by Hainan Airlines (HU, Haikou) but was not taken up, has yet to be ferried to Viet Nam.

Meanwhile, the airline is also set to receive another B787-9 which was taken by Hainan Airlines but has now been retired by the Chinese airline. Msn 62739, owned by GECAS, was originally delivered in October 2018 but operated its last scheduled service for Hainan Airlines on November 18, 2019, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. It is currently undergoing pre-delivery maintenance in Haikou.

In early December, Bamboo Airways said in a press release that it expected four B787-9s by the end of January 2020, including two delivered directly from the manufacturer.

"The first B787-9 Dreamliner will be operated by Bamboo Airways on domestic routes such as Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City-Da Nang. In the future, this will be the main aircraft for the medium and long routes of Bamboo Airways to Asia, Europe, America, connecting countries such as Japan, Korea, Czechia, Australia, and the USA," it said.



According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, Bamboo Airways currently operates twenty narrowbody aircraft, namely one A319-100, six A320-200s, three A320-200neo, two A321-200s, and four A321-200neo. It also wet-leases three A320-200s from Turkey's Freebird Airlines (FH, Istanbul New). The airline has ten B787-9s on firm order from Boeing with another twenty due for delivery from lessors.

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Bamboo Airways takes delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Bamboo Airways has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (VN-A819).

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will initially serve the Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh route from Tet 2020.

With the mission of exploring new destinations, Bamboo Airways delivers unique experiences with direct flights connecting Vietnam to different countries in the region. 

By 2021, Bamboo Airways is expected to expand direct flights to the US and Europe.

BAMBOO AIRWAYS / A320 NEO / F-WWIU msn 9306

Alain Charpentier - TLS

BAMBOO AIRLINES - A321N - VN-A590

Thanh Ho

Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat (SGN / VVTS)
Viet Nam

Boeing and Bamboo Airways Announce Order for 10 787 Dreamliners

Deal marks a major widebody airplane purchase by the Vietnamese airline

Super-efficient, long-range 787-9 to enable Bamboo to launch new international routes

HANOI, Vietnam, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Bamboo Airways today confirmed an order for 10 787-9 Dreamliners valued at $3 billion according to list prices. The order for the super-efficient and longest-range member of the Dreamliner family was unveiled during a signing ceremony in Hanoi, witnessed by U.S. President Donald Trump and General Secretary and President of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong.

"We are excited to be adding the new 787 Dreamliner to our growing fleet," said Mr. Trinh Van Quyet, Chairman of FLC Group and owner of Bamboo Airways. "Our long-term vision is to connect Vietnam with key markets in Asia, Europe and North America and the Dreamliner will enable us to launch these long-haul operations. The 787's superior operating economics and efficiency, as well as the passenger pleasing interior of the Dreamliner, will allow us to successfully grow our business while enabling us to better serve our customers."

This order was previously unidentified on Boeing's Orders & Deliveries website.

Bamboo Airways, a startup airline founded in 2017, began commercial operations in January, offering flights linking the capital of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with cities in Vietnam. The airline plans on offering up to 40 domestic routes in 2019. Additionally, Bamboo is preparing to launch international service to Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan and Australia, before broadening service to other destinations in Asia, Europe, and North America.

"The 787 Dreamliner's unmatched efficiency, range and flexibility make it the perfect airplane for Bamboo Airways to achieve its long-range ambitions. We are excited to advance the partnership between Boeing and Bamboo Airways and we look forward to helping them connect Asia with Europe, North America and beyond," said Kevin McAllister, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

The 787 Dreamliner family allows airlines to fly long ranges while reducing fuel costs by more than 20 percent compared to previous widebody jets. The Dreamliner's superior efficiency and range have allowed airlines to open more than 210 new non-stops routes around the world since it entered service.

At 63 meters (206 feet), the 787-9 can fly 290 passengers, in a typical two-class configuration, up to 7,635 nautical miles (14,140 kilometers). The airplane is 6 meters longer than the original Dreamliner and is capable of carrying more passengers and flying farther.

The 787 Dreamliner is the fastest-selling widebody airplane in history with more than 1,400 orders from 75 customers since its launch. Nearly 800 Dreamliners have entered service around the world, helping airlines save 33 billion pounds of fuel.

Bamboo Airways is wholly-owned by the FLC Group, a Vietnamese multi-industry company, focusing on aviation, real estate, resorts, farming, and golf.

Vietnam's Bamboo Airways adds first aircraft, an A319

Bamboo Airways (Qui Nhon) has taken delivery of its first aircraft, an A319-100, ahead of its commercial debut, now scheduled for December 27.

According to Skyliner Aviation, EI-GHX (msn 2568) was ferried to Hanoi from Clark on December 15. Bamboo Airways documents indicate the former SilkAir (MI, Singapore Changi) twinjet will be joined by A320-200 msn 2934 in January. Both jets are leased from FTAI Aviation's WWTAI AirOpCo II DAC special purpose vehicle.

In January, Bamboo Airways will add its first A321-200neo, msn 8195, formerly destined for the now-defunct Primera Air Scandinavia (PF, Billund). According to Vietbao, the aircraft is leased from GECAS and is due to be handed over on January 1, 2019.



Bamboo Airways' actual launch of commercial flights is contingent on the start-up securing its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) from the Vietnamese authorities.

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Bamboo Airways commits to twenty B787s

Bamboo Airways (Qui Nhon) has committed to twenty B787-9s from Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare), the US manufacturer has announced.

According to a statement, Bamboo Airways completed the deposit requirement in mid-June to reserve the 20 widebody jets, which are tentatively scheduled to deliver from April 2020 through 2021. They will be used to open up direct flights from Vietnam to North Asian markets as well as Europe and North America from 2023 onwards.

Earlier this year, parent firm FLC Group inked a memorandum of understanding with Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) for the proposed purchase of twenty-four A321neo due for delivery between 2022 and 2025.

Bamboo Airways is still awaiting approval for its air services licence and has yet to secure its AOC. As such, it is planning to begin commercial operations in 2019 out of Hanoi serving domestic Vietnamese destinations initially before expanding into other Northeast Asian markets such as China, Korea, and Japan.

ch aviation

FLC Group selects A321neo for Bamboo Airways

Strong demand for largest member of the best-selling A320 Family

Vietnam’s FLC Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Airbus for up to 24 A321neo aircraft for future operation by start-up carrier Bamboo Airways.

The agreements were signed in Paris today by Trinh Van Quyet, Chairman of FLC Group and Eric Schulz, Chief Commercial Officer, Airbus during the official visit to France of Nguyễn Phú Trọng, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Bamboo Airways is set to begin operations in 2019 with aircraft on lease from third party lessors before taking delivery of the aircraft covered by today’s MOU with Airbus. The carrier will focus on linking international markets to Vietnamese leisure destinations, as well as on selected domestic routes.

"After evaluating carefully the competing products, FLC Group and Bamboo Airways have selected the A321neo as the most efficient option for our new operation,” said Trinh Van Quyet. “The A321neo will enable us to combine comfort, efficiency and the right capacity for our planned services, which will primarily serve fast growing leisure markets in Vietnam.”

“We are proud that the A321neo has been selected by FLC Group,” said Schulz. “This decision once again underscores the position of the A321 as the aircraft of choice in the mid-market segment with its additional capacity and the very lowest operating cost. Vietnam is one of the most vibrant economies in South East Asia and we are proud to play a key role in helping to develop the air transport system in this fast-growing market.”

FLC Group is one of the largest conglomerates in Vietnam and is involved in a wide range of businesses including real estate development, hotel construction and management, financial services, and mining. Bamboo will in particular serve destinations where FLC Group has heavily invested in tourism infrastructure.

The A321 is the largest member of the A320 Family, seating up to 240 passengers, depending on cabin configuration. Incorporating the latest engines, aerodynamic advances, and cabin innovations, the A321neo offers a significant reduction in fuel consumption of 20 percent by 2020. It offers the longest range of any single-aisle aircraft and is capable of flying up to 4,000 nautical miles non-stop