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AirAsia To Establish Joint Venture Airline In Vietnam

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The cabin crew uniforms are the same as all AirAsia group airlines'. So I guess it would be the same for the aircraft. Perhaps it took a lot of talking to communicate to the importance of branding and corporate identity to the Vietnamese authorities. That was why it took to long to get this airline up and running.

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Having a MUCH closer look at the name tags, this Kyeong Bun Jung doesn't sound Vietnamese, more like Korean!

 

Hopefully this is a good sign more better things to come! :)

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Having a MUCH closer look at the name tags, this Kyeong Bun Jung doesn't sound Vietnamese, more like Korean!

 

Hopefully this is a good sign more better things to come! :)

 

maybe his / her father is korean, and the mother is from vietnam. hence the name appeared on the name tag!

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Looks like its really happening!!! Please welcome AirAsia Vietnam to the AirAsia family! :)

 

http://www.eturbonews.com/24799/airasia-ready-take-vietnam

 

- x2 Airbus A320 to be based at SGN

- Pilot & Crew already recruited & trained

- To intially operate domestically within Vietnam only

- Flights expected to begin by December 2011

 

I hope it will be a little different, i really want to see a blue AirAsia A320! If only Vina AirAsia plans didn't fall through we would be seeing blue AirAsia's flying around!

Edited by soorox

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KUALA LUMPUR -(Dow Jones)- AirAsia Bhd. (5099.KU), Southeast Asia's largest budget airline by fleet size, said Tuesday that it won't proceed with a proposed joint venture with VietJet Aviation JSC.

Regulatory approval for VietJet to use AirAsia's brand across its commercial operations remains outstanding, AirAsia said in a stock exchange filing. As that condition is fundamental to the venture's success, the company has "decided to allow the joint venture to lapse with immediate effect."

In February 2010, AirAsia said it had signed agreements with Sovico Holdings and a Vietnamese individual to buy 30% in VietJet and establish a low-cost airline in Vietnam based on its existing business.

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Guess, Vietnam Airlines is more powerful in politics than anticipated... :blink:

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Its too bad that Vietnam has decided that free enterprise and competition is still beyond them. :(

 

I think AirAsia's patience was exhausted after so many years. Plus, it does not matter so much anymore to have a Vietnam operation now that it has Japan and Philippines starting up. Vietnam, like Singapore, can just be a virtual hub.

 

PS To Forum Moderator: I think that this thread is in the wrong forum - shd be in Gen Aviation.

Edited by flee

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Thursday October 13, 2011

AirAsia still looking for opportunity in Vietnam

 

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Bhd is still looking for an opportunity to grow its business in Vietnam, which has a lot of potential, said group deputy chief executive officer Datuk Kamarudin Meranun.

 

Kamarudin said although AirAsia’s joint-venture agreement with Vietnam’s VietJet Aviation to launch a low-cost airline had been allowed to lapse, Airasia might relook at the deal.

 

“In the proper time and condition, we may (relook the opportunity for a joint venture with VietJet) but it has to be the right time, environment and condition,” he told Bernama after appearing in Bernama Radio 24’s “Kerusi Panas” programme.

 

AirAsia said in a statement on Tuesday that it would not proceed with the proposed joint venture with Vietjet following the expiration of the prescribed period to fulfill various regulatory requirements.

 

Kamarudin said the move would not derail AirAsia’s plan to expand in the region as it had succesfully formed several joint ventures, including in the Philippines and with Japan’s All Nippon Airways. — Bernama

 

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/13/business/9687967&sec=business

Edited by alberttky

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Better to abort now ... then to start up and then get all manners of ridiculous problems. Remember that Jetstar Pacific's staff was even charged and jailed.

 

KC Sim

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VietJet launch not affected by AirAsia pullout

 

AirAsia’s decision last week to not go forward with its Vietnamese joint venture is a major setback for the AirAsia Group and Vietnam’s promising aviation market. But by no means does it spell an end or even a delay for AirAsia’s Vietnamese partner, VietJet Air, which is moving forward with plans to launch services in Dec-2011 without AirAsia.

 

VietJet is well advanced in its launch preparations and in fact, as CAPA reported last month, was already expecting to begin operations without the AirAsia brand. VietJet was also already planning to source its initial batch of A320s directly from lessors rather than from AirAsia’s massive order book. As a result, AirAsia’s participation and planned 30% investment in VietJet seemed tentative despite AirAsia repeatedly stating over the last year that it remained committed to implementing the agreement initially forged in Feb-2010 with VietJet primary shareholder Sovico Holdings.

 

Clearly the powerful AirAsia brand and website would have helped VietJet, particularly on international routes. AirAsia’s success in establishing affiliates in two other ASEAN countries, Indonesia and Thailand, illustrates the benefits a pan-Asian brand can bring. But the success of other LCCs in the Indonesian and Thai markets (such as Lion Air and Nok Air) also shows local LCC brands can thrive, particularly domestically.

 

The opportunities in the Vietnamese market are huge, particularly for LCCs, which can stimulate growth by lowering fares. There is no reason VietJet cannot stimulate air travel among Vietnamese through a local brand. Vietnam’s domestic market has been growing at double digit clips since 2007, with full-service operator Vietnam Airlines the main beneficiary. Even faster growth is possible as LCC penetration rates increase.

 

Currently LCCs account for only 16% of total domestic capacity in Vietnam, with Jetstar Pacific the only Vietnamese LCC. The other major domestic markets in ASEAN – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand – all have LCC penetration rates above 50% (which assumes Lion Air and Citlink as LCCs in Indonesia).

 

But for LCCs to be able to tap the full potential of the Vietnamese market, the Government needs to loosen air fare regulations and its views on foreign ownership and control, including the use of foreign brands and websites. The Vietnamese Government rejected multiple requests by VietJet to use the AirAsia brand, prompting AirAsia to ultimately decide against establishing the planned joint venture. The Government also previously indicated it would require Jetstar Pacific to adopt a more local brand. So far Jetstar has been able to keep its branding in Vietnam – a point VietJet is likely to bring up as it is forced to compete against Jetstar without the AirAsia brand.

 

Vietnam’s Government needs to be more open to adopting the looser regulations of its neighbours when it comes to cross-border ventures. Following other ASEAN countries in allowing the use of foreign airline brands would ensure the success of Vietnam’s LCC sector. Jetstar Pacific needs to continue using the Jetstar brand to succeed, particularly as it looks to enter the international market next year, and VietJet should have the freedom to similarly adopt a new brand after it launches – potentially the AirAsia brand under a resumed partnership or the brand of another Asian LCC.

 

In fact, AirAsia said last week that while conditions are not currently right to pursue a joint venture with VietJet it may later relook at establishing a Vietnamese affiliate under the right conditions and environment. The required conditions are essentially a more liberal operating environment, particularly a change in the policy against the use of foreign brands.

 

AirAsia is still convinced of the opportunities in the Vietnamese market. But it simply isn’t willing to invest in a Vietnamese carrier unless it has assurances that the carrier can have the same look, strategy and model as its other affiliates. There’s no reason to bet that the use of the AirAsia brand at VietJet will later be approved when AirAsia has so many other fantastic opportunities at expanding elsewhere in Asia where there are no such restrictions and challenges. Moving forward with the risk that the Vietnamese Government may not open up anytime in the foreseeable future is simply not worth it. The Australia-based Jetstar Group has learned the hard way that doing business in Vietnam can be challenging.

 

Jetstar Pacific has not yet turned a profit and has so far expanded far slower than initially anticipated after the carrier was partially acquired by Jetstar and transformed into an LCC in 2007. CAPA reported last month that Jetstar, which owns 30% in Jetstar Pacific, now expects the Vietnamese affiliate will grow its fleet from seven to 10 aircraft by the end of 2013.

 

VietJet could quickly overcome Jetstar Pacific as Vietnam’s largest LCC as it plans to have 15 aircraft by the end of 2014. A few of months ago VietJet solicited bids from lessors and VietJet sources tell CAPA the carrier remains confident it can secure two to three aircraft in time to meet its target for launching in mid-December. VietJet is also working on securing a second batch of aircraft for early 2012, when it aims to launch international services.

 

VietJet, for the first few months, plans to focus entirely on Vietnam’s three biggest routes – Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh, Ho Chi Minh-Danang and Hanoi-Danang. These three main trunk routes now account for over half of total domestic capacity in Vietnam and over half of Jetstar Pacific’s total capacity. But from an LCC perspective these routes are currently under-served with LCC penetration rates of only about 20% – far lower than all other similarly sized domestic routes within ASEAN.

 

Meanwhile, despite not proceeding with a Vietnamese affiliate, AirAsia will continue to grow its presence in Vietnam’s international market using its existing affiliates. AirAsia is already the largest foreign airline group in Vietnam, accounting for 5% of international capacity in the Vietnamese market. The group has a relatively large presence in Ho Chi Minh, which is served by all three of its existing carriers, and Hanoi. AirAsia will also become only the third international carrier at Danang in Dec-2011, when it begins serving Vietnam’s third largest city with four weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur.

 

With new affiliates to be launched in the Philippines later this year and in Japan next year, AirAsia will have the flexibility to open more routes into the rapidly expanding Vietnamese market without needing a local affiliate. But a Vietnamese affiliate is still the preferred route over the medium to long term as it would allow AirAsia to access the country’s fast-growing domestic market and open international routes to China and Singapore – two key markets with big growth potential.

 

http://www.centreforaviation.com/blog/vietjet-launch-not-affected-by-airasia-pullout-60658

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Vietnam fines airline for dancers in bikini-tops

_62160590_62160588.jpgThe women, all candidates in a beauty contest, performed a three-minute dance on the August flight

Vietnamese officials have fined a budget airline for having beauty contestants in bikini-tops dance aboard a plane without authorisation, state-run media has reported.

VietJetAir was fined 20m dong ($956; £611) for the Hawaiian-themed dance on its first flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Nga Trang, Tuoi Tre newspaper says.

Passengers filmed the five women on their mobile phones on 3 August.

Officials say VietJetAir had "violated local aviation regulations".

The decision to fine the airline was reached after officials met on Wednesday, the newspaper reports.

Nguyen Trong Thang, chief inspector of the country's civil aviation body, was quoted as saying that the airline "had violated the local aviation regulations by organising unapproved show on a plane".

But he stressed that the mobile phones used to film the dance were in safe mode.

Videos of the women dancing for three minutes that were posted online stirred public debate in the conservative country, reports say.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19195690

Guess this has nothing to do with AIrAsia then... ;) Perhaps it's meant to be right if it's under Virgin... hehe

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Vietjet is making a lot of money and starting to expanding in Thailand.

So it is, from Tonys point of view, time to make some pressure in Vietjets homemarket .-P

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