Vietravel to become Vietnam's sixth airline

HANOI (Vietnam News/ANN): Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has recently agreed to licence Vietnam Travel Aviation Company Limited (Vietravel Airlines) for air transport, making it the sixth airline in Vietnam.

The PM assigned the Ministry of Transport (MoT) to clarify the financial capacity of the firm to ensure the minimum capital required for the operation of Vietravel Airlines.

Based on that, the MoT will decide when to issue an air transport business licence to Vietravel Airlines.

The move makes Vietravel Airlines the country's sixth airline, after Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Jetstar, VASCO and Bamboo Airways.

Recently, Nguyễn Quốc Kỳ, chairman of Vietravel, said the airline plans to make its first flight on Dec 18. In the short term, the airline will fly domestically, mainly serving company tours, in addition to a small number of commercial customers.

In April, Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng signed a decision approving the investment policy of Vietravel Airlines with a total investment of VNĐ700 billion (US$30.2 million).

Based in Phú Bài International airport, Thừa Thiên Huế Province, Vietravel Airlines will provide domestic and international air transportation services, contributing to improving the air transport capacity of Vietnam and the development of the travel and tourism industry as well as the country's socio-economic development, Kỳ said. — Vietnam News/ANN