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Vietnam Airlines handed control of Jetstar Pacific

Vietnam Airlines has tightened its grip on domestic aviation by taking a majority stake in Qantas-affiliated Jetstar Pacific.

Vietnam's national carrier will be handed the government's stake in the loss-making budget airline.

The 70 percent stake was held by the government's State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) with the remainder owned by Qantas (27 percent) and Saigontourist.

Despite restructuring, Jetstar Pacific has continued to rack up losses.

Vietnam Airlines will appoint its representatives on Jetstar Pacific's board of directors.

Vietnam Airlines already accounts for 80 percent of the local aviation market share, followed by Jetstar Pacific with around 17 percent.

The capital transfer is scheduled for completion before February 15.

Jetstar launches cheap tickets for domestic flights | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

LookAtVietnam - The budget carrier Jetstar Pacific offers cheap tickets at price of VND230,000 (US$11) each for domestic flights from December 3-7.

The cheap tickets are applied for flights from Hanoi, Vinh, Hue, Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City, which depart from January 14 to February 1.

The cheap tickets also applied for flights between Hanoi and Da Nang return way, which depart from January 5 -25; from Ho Chi Minh City to Hai Phong, which depart from January 5-13 and from Hai Phong to Ho Chi Minh City, depart from January 5 to February 1.

Price ticket applied for flights from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and from Hai Phong to Ho Chi Minh City is VND575,000 ($29).

The ticket prices do not include tax and other additional fee.

Cheap tickets will be available on the Jetstar Pacific’s website and can be paid for online by credit cards, such as Visa, Master Card and by domestic debit cards, such as Connect 24 (Vietcombank), E-Partner (Viettinbank) and VIB.

The air carrier often launches promotional programs for passengers at special events every year.
Source: SGGP

Vietnam's first privately-owned airline launched

Vietnam's first privately-owned airline began flights Tuesday, aiming to tap rising demand for air travel in the fast-growing Southeast Asian nation.
Indochina Airlines, owned by a group of Vietnamese businessmen, is operating four daily flights between the southern commercial center of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, said company spokeswoman Nguyen Thi Thanh Quyen.
The company, chaired by Ha Hung Dung, a well-known Vietnamese pop music composer and businessman, also offers two flights daily between Ho Chi Minh City and the central coastal city of Danang.
"The launch of our airlines aims to meet growing air travel demand in Vietnam and will offer more choices for customers," she said.
Indochina Airlines is the third airline to offer domestic flights in Vietnam, joining national carrier Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific, a partnership between a state-owned carrier and Australia's Qantas, which holds an 18 percent stake.
Indochina Airlines has registered capital of $12 million, Quyen said, and is leasing two 174-seat Boeing 737-800s.
In the next two or three years, the company hopes to add flights to the resort city of Nha Trang and the ancient capital of Hue, as well as countries in the region.
Passenger air travel to and from Vietnam has grown between 13 and 17 percent annually in recent years, according to Vietnam's Civil Aviation Administration