Hanoi (VNA) – Just 10 months after commencing commercial operations, Sun PhuQuoc Airways (SPA), Sun Group’s leisure airline, has been named Asia’s Best Leisure Airline for the first time. The carrier also secured prominent positions in the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2026, placing 99th among the World’s Top 100 Airlines and fifth among the World’s Most Improved Airlines.
This marks SPA’s debut in the Skytrax international airline awards and rankings. In the World’s Top 100 Airlines ranking, the carrier climbed 57 places from 156th in 2025 to enter the top 100 for the first time.
For SPA, these accolades reflect an ambition that has guided the airline since its launch: to build a leisure carrier with rigorous operational standards, using Phu Quoc as its hub to expand connections with the world. This ambition underpins the development of its domestic and international network serving Phu Quoc, alongside continuous improvements to the customer experience throughout the journey.
The title of Asia’s Best Leisure Airline 2026 holds particular significance in this journey. It recognises the “resort in the sky” experience SPA seeks to deliver on every flight, while reinforcing the airline’s role in helping establish Phu Quoc as a world-class leisure destination.
With Phu Quoc at the heart of its network strategy, SPA is expanding its domestic services and international connections to key markets in Northeast and Southeast Asia, while progressively extending its reach to China, India, Russia, Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries. Its fleet is expected to reach 33 aircraft by the end of 2026, including 05 Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft, and grow to 60 aircraft in 2027. Longer-term targets of 100 aircraft by 2030 and 200 by 2035 will strengthen its capacity to bring more international visitors to Vietnam and connect more domestic and overseas travellers with Phu Quoc.
For SPA, growth in scale must go hand in hand with quality and operational discipline. Safety remains the foundation of its operations as the airline expands, with on-time performance consistently among the strongest in Vietnam’s aviation sector. Alongside this, SPA continues to refine its products and services at every stage of the passenger journey, from aircraft cabins and airport lounges to ground services.
Nguyen Manh Quan, Chief Executive Officer of Sun PhuQuoc Airways, said: “Being named Asia’s Best Leisure Airline by Skytrax and entering major global airline rankings for the first time, just 10 months into commercial operations, is a significant milestone for Sun PhuQuoc Airways. In this short but intensive period, we have established a foundation for safe, reliable operations while expanding our fleet and route network and continually enhancing service quality. Our ambition is to achieve internationally recognised five-star service standards at the earliest opportunity. This recognition is both a tremendous encouragement and a strong incentive for SPA to uphold its safety and operational standards while further strengthening Phu Quoc’s connections with the world.”
Skytrax’s recognition affirms SPA’s long-term approach: developing aviation in tandem with the destinations it serves. Through an expanding network, stronger international connectivity and an ever-improving passenger experience, SPA aims to work alongside Phu Quoc’s tourism and hospitality ecosystem to bring the island closer to travellers worldwide and help realise its ambition to become a leading international destination./.
