HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc yesterday officially approved an air transportation business licence to Bamboo Airways of Việt Bamboo Airlines Company.

The decision was made after a meeting of permanent Government members between the PM and ministries and localities.

The licencing to the company, owned by property developer FLC Group was given high consensus of ministries and localities.

“The PM approved in principle and assigned the Ministry of Transport (MoT) to consider, assess and grant licence to the airways,” said Mai Tiến Dũng, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office.

Earlier, the ministry submitted a document asking the PM to consider the licencing for Bamboo Airways as it received an application from the company which met with requirements of capital, ensured the availability of aircraft, the organisational structure, business plans and product development strategy.

The ministry also highly valued orientation of the airline in developing routes serving for tourism development by connecting areas in the country as well as with big cities and other countries in the region.

MoT said the target would create new products and markets, enhancing competitiveness in the aviation market while providing more choice to customers. In addition, it would be suitable with aviation planning approved by the PM.

Bamboo Airways received a decision to approve the investment policy in principle from Government back in July.

But now the decision has been made officially.

“With the Government’s approval today, all final stages of the airlines’ first flight scheduled by the end of the fourth quarter this year are completed,” said Đặng Tất Thắng, Bamboo Airways’ general director.

The first airbus’ A319, A320 aircrafts are being completed by Bamboo Airways in Turkey and the Philippines, ready to be available in Việt Nam. Test flight also showed that the aircrafts fully met with technical specifications, ready to go into operation.

It was expected that Bamboo Airways would bring some 20 aircrafts this year and 20-30 in 2019 to serve for its operation plan. The new aircrafts from its US$8.8 billion signed early with Airbus and Boeing would be delivered in 2020.

The company planned to exploit around 100 routes connecting all big cities and famous tourism destinations in Việt Nam and the world. The first domestic flights would be Hà Nội-Quy Nhơn, Hà Nội-Đồng Hới, HCM City-Quy Nhơn, Hà Nội-HCM City, HCM City-Vân Đồn with an aim to reduce pressure for aviation infrastructure in big cities while enhancing regional connection to improve Vietnam’s tourism image in the world. — VNS