Sun PhuQuoc Airways’ new aircraft livery

The “dark horse” picks up speed

Sun PhuQuoc Airways (SPA), the airline of Sun Group, officially launched in October 2025 and began commercial operations the following month. It entered the Vietnamese aviation market amid a strong post-pandemic recovery, but also faced challenges, including rising costs, fleet constraints, talent shortages, infrastructure pressure, and increasingly intense competition.

Sun PhuQuoc Airways continues to expand its international route network from Phú Quốc

Less than a year after entering service, the newcomer has already established a notable presence.

After receiving its first aircraft in August 2025, the airline is on track to operate 32 aircraft by the end of 2026. Wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft are scheduled to enter service in September 2026, expanding the airline’s long-haul capabilities, while a billion-dollar order for 40 Boeing aircraft, with deliveries scheduled from 2031, reflects its long-term growth ambitions.

As part of its regional and global expansion strategy, the airline recently unveiled a refreshed visual identity featuring the three letters “SPA” on its fuselage. The design represents continuous momentum, innovation, and aspirations for broader connectivity. The identity will become the standard livery across the Sun PhuQuoc Airways fleet.

The pace of fleet expansion reflects not only financial capacity but also the operational discipline required to scale rapidly, including the readiness of personnel, technical systems, and service infrastructure.

A route network built around a destination

Based in Phú Quốc, SPA has rapidly expanded its network to connect the “Pearl Island” with major domestic destinations, including Hà Nội, Hồ Chí Minh City, Đà Nẵng, Nha Trang, and Hải Phòng, while also launching international routes to key Asian markets such as Taipei (Taiwan, China) and Hong Kong (China), Seoul (South Korea), Singapore, Bangkok (Thailand), and Chengdu (China).

The airline is also advancing plans to expand services to Malaysia, Japan, India, Russia, and Kazakhstan.

Building a workforce of 1,000 cabin crew and beyond

To support its expansion plans, SPA is developing its workforce on a large scale. With the belief that service quality begins with people, the airline is recruiting 1,000 cabin crew members, with the programme open to candidates worldwide.

SPA’s cabin crew recruitment drive opens 1,000 positions

The recruitment drive reflects the airline’s broader international ambitions. As SPA enters new markets, its cabin crew will need to meet safety and operational requirements while also understanding cultural differences, engaging with diverse passenger groups, and representing the image of a modern Vietnamese airline with a strong hospitality tradition.

A five-star service proposition in the air

Service quality is being positioned as a long-term competitive advantage. The airline’s “resort airline” concept is reflected through services such as hotel-style check-in, the Sun Executive Lounge designed with a resort-inspired atmosphere, Vietnamese cuisine prepared by artisan chefs alongside international culinary offerings, and a cabin design featuring refined Indochinese influences.

The experience also includes the signature La Festa fragrance, premium seating materials, restaurant-style hot meal service, wireless in-flight entertainment, and the “SPArkle” service culture.

By the end of 2026, the narrow-body fleet is expected to complete a Business Class upgrade programme aligned with the arrival of the A330 aircraft, providing a consistent premium experience across routes and aircraft types.

Aviation as a gateway to the destination

The growth of SPA reflects a broader vision of transforming Phú Quốc into a regional connectivity hub, where increasing passenger flows contribute to the island’s wider tourism and economic development.

What distinguishes SPA is its role as a key component of the Sun Group ecosystem. Aviation brings visitors to the island, while the resort, entertainment, and lifestyle ecosystem encourages longer stays, richer experiences, and greater economic value from each journey.

This approach is supported by strong growth potential. Between 2015 and 2025, passenger throughput on routes connected to Phú Quốc increased from 1.41 million to 5.81 million, representing growth of more than 300 per cent over the decade. However, even at this level, Phú Quốc handles only around 36 per cent of Phuket’s traffic and 29 per cent of Bali’s, indicating substantial room for further expansion.

It is within this context that SPA is pursuing a “Destination Hub” model, where the island itself becomes the attraction and passengers choose to stop, stay, explore, and spend. Each new route represents a new market connection, bringing Phú Quốc closer to international travellers while creating new opportunities for trade, investment, and economic exchange.

With APEC 2027 expected to boost the island’s infrastructure and international profile, the role of a Phú Quốc-based airline is becoming increasingly significant.

From Phú Quốc, SPA is developing a story that goes beyond simply entering the aviation market. It is using aviation to open access to a destination and leveraging that destination to support sustainable network growth.

With a young fleet, an expanding route network, a workforce built for international operations, and a service experience reflecting Vietnamese hospitality, Việt Nam’s youngest airline is taking its first steps towards the global aviation market.