After enduring a year of rising airfares, Australians are entering an era of low-cost air travel driven by two airlines seizing the competitive opportunity. On the international front, Vietjet started nonstop services this week between Vietnam and Australia, while Bonza is opening up the domestic and regional market with its low airfares and new aircraft.
This morning a packed Vietjet widebody landed in Sydney, bringing with it close to 400 passengers on the inaugural flight from Ho Chi Minh City. Last Saturday, the first Vietjet service to Australia touched down in Melbourne, and from June, there will also be flights between Brisbane and Ho Chi Minh City, the first time Queensland and Vietnam will have a direct air connection.
A “very good start” for Vietjet
Vietjet Vice President Quang Xuan Do was on today’s flight, and after arriving at Sydney Airport, he spoke to Simple Flying. He started by saying that he was very happy to inform us that the two flights, Melbourne and Sydney, had a “very full capacity which was a very good start.”
Vietjet already operates around 100 routes to more than 40 destinations, so we asked why is now a good time to have a crack at the Australian market. Do replied:
“The Australian market is a very similar market for the Vietnamese traveler and after COVID-19 pandemic recovery more and more Vietnamese and Australian passengers are traveling. We saw the statistics that more than 175,000 Vietnamese travel to Australia each year, and it is growing year by year.
“Also business between Vietnam and Australia is $12.4 billion, and that’s increasing every year, so we see after COVID-19 this is a good time for Vietjet to start the flights.”
The Sydney and Melbourne (MEL) routes will initially operate return flights three times a week, and the Brisbane service will start in June with a twice-weekly frequency. Do pointed out that this is just the start and said Vietjet plans to go daily between Ho Chi Minh City and Sydney/Melbourne in 2024 and is already studying opportunities for flights to Adelaide, Perth and Canberra.
More A330s are on the way as Vietjet expands
For its medium- and long-haul services, Vietjet uses its fleet of five Airbus A330-300s configured to seat 377 passengers in a two-class layout.
The A330s are flying around Asia, with regular services including Tokyo Narita (NRT), Hong Kong International (HKG), Shangai Pudong International(PVG), Seoul Incheon (ICN) and domestically on the trunk route between Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) and Hanoi Noi Bai International (HAN).
Before launching the Australian routes, the longest route was between Vietnam and Kazakhstan, with flights to Astana Nursultan Nazarbayev International (NZQ) and Almaty International (ALA) hovering around the eight-hour mark.
“For the last three months, we are flying three times a week from Vietnam to Alamty and then to Astana and it’s a very successful new market. It’s very cold in Kazakhstan in the winter and they want to come to Vietnam for some warm weather and to see new destinations.”
Adding routes and frequencies will need more widebody capacity, and Do told Simple Flying this process is in place.
“Next month we will receive one more A330 and by the end of the year, we will have a total of nine A330-300s and 100 A321 narrowbodies. We will develop a fleet for the A350 soon, depending on the market situation.”
New narrowbodies are on the way
Vietjet is also bolstering its fleet of narrowbodies, adding Airbus A321neos/XLRs and Boeing 737 MAXs for its short-haul services. Do said that the MAX order covers both 737-8s and 737-10s, with the first aircraft expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2025. The airline also has a large order with Airbus for 100 A321neos and 20 A321XLRs, which will be used for expansion and fleet renewal.
More international expansion is on the drawing board, with Do nominating the Indian sub-continent, Mainland China, the Middle East and Europe as possible market opportunities. He ends with the Vietjet slogan of “Now everyone can fly” and based on the very low fares on offer to Australia that’s certainly true.
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Vietjet flights from Sydney to Ho Chi Minh City will operate every Monday, Thursday and Saturday, departing SYD at 10:15 and arriving in SGN at 16:30. The return flight departs from Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 19:30 and arrives in Sydney at 07:20 the following day.
Have you been on a Vietjet flight? Let us know in the comment section.