VietJet plans massive capacity boost for 'affiliates

VietJet plans to deploy the lion’s share of incoming aircraft to what it describes as "affiliates" from 2019 to 2023. The airline outlines its fleet growth plans for the years 2018-2023 in its results presentation for the first nine months of 2018. At the end of 2018, it expects to have a total of 74 aircraft, with 66 in VietJet and eight at affiliates. The carrier, however, now has just one affiliate, Thai VietJet, which operates seven Airbus A320 family jets from Bangkok's congested Suvarnabhumi International airport. In the five years from 2019 to 2023, it plans to add a net total of 118 aircraft to affiliates, and a net total of just 60 new aircraft to its flagship VietJet operation. Overall, by the end of 2023 it expects to have a total of 242 aircraft, with 116 in affiliates and 126 in VietJet. From 2019 to 2023 it will add 12 aircraft annually to VietJet. Affiliates, however, will get 10 aircraft in 2019, 31 in 2020, 35 in 2021, 23 in 2022, and 19 in 2023. It is not clear if Thai VietJet will remain the carrier's only affiliate, or if VietJet hopes to open franchises in additional countries. <br/>