Q: You’ve just reported outstanding business performances in Q1/2024 on the back of a great 2023. Why is Vietjet performing so well?
A: In the first quarter of 2024, Vietjet continuously announced and opened 15 domestic routes in Vietnam and international routes connecting Vietnam with new destinations in Taiwan (China), China, Laos, Japan and Australia.
As present, Vietjet is operating 168 routes to 144 airports in 25 countries, providing diverse flight options for passengers.
With a wide flight network covering Asia and reaching Australia, passengers are finding it easier to plan their “one journey, multiple destinations” trips.
In addition to improving service quality in new markets, Vietjet also materialises its commitments to offering passengers reasonable flying opportunities via regular promotional programs. Our philosophy is “the earlier you buy your tickets, the better the price is”.
Accordingly, we have safely operated 34,500 flights, an increase of 53 per cent compared to 2023 and transported approximately 6.5 million passengers, an increase of 61 per cent compared to the same period in 2023.
Nguyen Thi Thuy Binh, Vietjet Vice President
Q: You fly to five Australian destinations. Why is the Australian market so important to you?
A: We strive to provide flights for different types of people, not only for the pleasure of travel but to visit relatives in their homeland. This is the reason we have decided to open flights connecting Vietnam to the five largest cities in Australia.
We are aiming to realise the dreams of many Australian communities to travel overseas, including immigrants from other countries flying to Vietnam and travellers using Vietnam to connect them other countries in the Asian region.
Vietnam is emerging as a favoured holiday destination for Australian tourists as well as a great connection point for passengers wishing to fly to other destinations in Asia with more than 80 routes being operated through VietJet.
Our expansion into Australia plans to promote tourism between Vietnam and Australia, to “connect culture to culture and people to people.”
Additionally, our arrival will help in creating more jobs for two major economies recovering from the pandemic. From entering the Australian market at the end of 2023, Vietjet has contributed to 60 per cent of total passenger transport between Vietnam and Australia.
Given that Australia is Vietnam’s 10th largest trading partner, and Vietnam is Australia’s seventh largest trading partner, it makes sense for our airline to focus on the Australian market as an important destination.
Q: Do you see passenger traffic between Australia and Vietnam growing in the future?
A: Our entry into the market played a significant role in increasing the seat capacity between Vietnam and Australia by more than 60 per cent from January 2023 to March 2024.
With the travel industry continuing to recover, we can expect the demand for travel between Australia and Vietnam to continue to increase.
We estimate the number of passengers Vietjet would carry between Australia and Vietnam will increase more than 200 per cent compared with 2023.
Q: What steps are you taking to make sure Vietjet is meeting its sustainability goals?
A: The sustainable development strategy of the airline focuses on its corporate social responsibilities. The company prioritises its Action Plans to reduce carbon emissions to protect the environment and the Earth.
In our plans to expand our flight network and further grow our business, we continually reinvest in our fleet of aircraft, outfitting them with the most modern technologies to reduce noise and fuel consumption.
Currently, our modern fleet of aircraft can save 15 per cent to 20 per cent on fuel consumption compared to the average in the market.
Vietjet has signed a contract to buy a total of 206 Airbus aircraft. To date, the airline has received 79 A321ceo/neo aircraft and continues to receive 107 A321NEO ACF and A321XLR aircraft.
These are the latest narrow-body aircraft with the longest range, offering up to 17 per cent in fuel savings, noise reductions and the lowest operating fee per seat among commercial aircraft lines on the market.
Q: Can you reveal what plans you have for expansion in the future?
A: Thanks to the above-mentioned orders of new aircraft, Vietjet plans to expand its international flight network, connecting all major cities in 25 countries with Vietnamese destinations.
On the other hand, we keep expanding to new airports, new countries and especially to Europe on modern wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft.
In addition, we will increase the frequency of routes with increased travel demand in stages.
With flights connecting Vietnam and Australia, Vietjet has operated five routes connecting five major cities including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide with Ho Chi Minh City and two routes connecting Melbourne, Sydney with Vietman’s capital Ha Noi.
We are ready to increase the frequency of each route when travel demand between Vietnam and Australia increases.
To better serve passengers with a diverse flight network, we continue to enhance digital platforms to facilitate interactions to better serve passengers globally.
Q: So what kind of experience can Aussies expect onboard a Vietjet flight?
A: In addition to comfortable leather seats on board and service by professional cabin crew, passengers can also experience the zeitgeist of their destination right at the time of boarding with our carefully selected songs and quintessential Vietnamese cuisine, served alongside other international cuisines.
Additionally, we also provide unique cultural and artistic programs such as music, fashion shows, magic shows and surprise gifts on special festivals or on special flights.
Passengers are also able to shop for duty-free goods or other convenience products throughout the flight.
We not only provide safe transportation services for passengers but also offer enjoyable experiences during the flight, so that each flight becomes an unforgettable part of our passengers’ trip.
