Vietnam's Bamboo Airways books maiden flight on Dec 29 -chairman

Bamboo Airways aims to make its first domestic flight on Dec. 29 should it receive its license to fly, beginning a journey which could see Vietnam’s fifth carrier rival the market leader in size within a year, its chairman said. The maiden flight will connect the capital Hanoi with the coastal resort city of Quy Nhon, where parent FLC Group JSC FLC.HM has one of its around 30 hotels and 20 golf courses, said Trinh Van Quyet, who is also chairman of FLC. “As well as main cities, we’ll fly to domestic destinations existing airlines don’t reach,” Quyet said Monday. “Our first international flights will connect Vietnam with South Korea and Japan, early in the second quarter.” “There has been a surge in the number of golfers coming from South Korea to play in Vietnam recently,” he added, saying that direct flights to the US is also a Bamboo goal. The launch comes as Vietnam clocks double-digit expansion in both domestic and inbound passenger numbers, at a time of rising incomes in one of Asia’s quickest-growing economies. Bamboo hopes to begin ticket sales at the end of November. It plans to operate initial routes with leased aircraft.<br/>