Bamboo Airways to receive first Dreamliner in December

This will be the first of many such aircraft to join its fleet at the end of 2019 and early 2020, company said by statement on its website.

The aircraft will initially be operated on Bamboo Airways’ domestic routes such as Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City - Da Nang.

It will then be the main aircraft exploiting medium and long-haul routes to Asia, Europe, and the US, connecting countries such as Japan, South Korea, the Czech Republic, and Australia.

The carrier which signed an agreement to buy 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners with a total listed value of $5.6 billion is currently exploiting 28 domestic and international routes. It plans to expand its network to 37-40 routes by the end of 2019.

Private budget airline expects profits in the first quarter next year as its fleet expands to 30 aircraft though it reported losses of $14.2 million at the end of April, three months after its first flight.

Bamboo Airways chairman Trinh Van Quyet explained the losses at a shareholders’ meeting in June, saying the airline had to pay salaries for a team big enough to operate 30 aircraft, while the fleet was just 10 then.

The airline plans to launch an initial public offering next year to raise around $100 million. It is eyeing investors from Japan, the U.S., and Europe.

Recently government has raised foreign ownership limit at Vietnamese airlines to 34%. The country has six airlines, and three more are waiting for licenses.

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