VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Co. (VietJetAir) has taken delivery of one new Airbus A320 as part of the low-cost carrier’s strategy to expand its aircraft fleet with at least five new planes every year for increasing services on both domestic and regional markets, local media reported.
The Saigon Times Daily quoted VietJetAir as saying earlier this week that the first Airbus A320 it just received in 2014 would enable it to provide over 10,000 more seats per week to meet the surging demand for travel during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, better known as Tet in Vietnam, and to expand its fleet to 11.
Desmond Lin, business development director of VietJetAir, said with more aircraft, the airline would better serve its customers, particularly during Tet - the biggest holiday in Vietnam that falls on January 31 this year.
“Customers now have more options to schedule for returning homes or traveling with their beloved people during the holiday. The increase in the fleet is also among our attempts to expand our operations this year,” Lin said.
VietJetAir performs almost 600 weekly flights on 16 domestic and international routes, including those connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi with Thailand's Bangkok. It plans new routes linking tourist and business hubs in Asia such as the Republic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore in the next few months.
VietJetAir struck deals in September last year to purchase and lease up to 100 Airbus A320 family aircraft from Airbus and partners. Under these deals, the airline will buy 92 new A320 aircraft and lease eight more from third-party lessors, at a total estimated cost of 9.1 billion USD.-VNA
