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Vietnamese airline Bamboo looks set to end its Australian flights imminently despite only launching services last year, according to reports.
The carrier posted a statement on its website hinting it was set to cut the frequency of some under-perming routes, while its local sales manager claimed on LinkedIn that all ANZ staff had been made redundant.
Bamboo first launched a service between Sydney and Ho Chi Minh at the end of March 2022, taking on Jetstar and Vietnam Airlines. It also began flying from Melbourne to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.
“Bamboo Airways has improved commercial efficiency by reducing the frequency of a number of inefficient routes with low passenger demand while increasing operation on routes recording high demand,” the business said in a statement.
“This has enabled the airline to optimally meet market capacity and enhance the overall performance of its network.
“This set of solutions has enabled Bamboo Airways to chart a new, suitable course for its operations in late 2023 and early 2024.
“The carrier’s fleet structure is expected to incorporate narrow-body aircraft and jets, which will be deployed on key domestic routes, strongly emphasizing trunk routes such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang.
“The airline will also offer services on domestic tourist routes with high demand and international routes to Southeast Asia.”
Bamboo only landed its first direct flight to Australia during the middle of COVID, to repatriate Vietnamese citizens onboard, who had been studying or working in Australia.
The 787-9 Dreamliner, VN-A818 (msn 62735), departed Hanoi as QH9088 at 7:39pm on 5 September 2020 and landed the next morning in Melbourne at 7:57am.
The news of Bamboo’s demise in the APAC region will be a boon to rival Vietnam Airlines, which launched its first flight from Hanoi to Melbourne in June.
Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said then the flights add much-needed capacity to one of Victoria’s most important growth markets.
“The launch of today’s service means we now have 60 per cent more capacity flying to and from Vietnam than we did before the onset of Covid-19,” she said.
“Vietnam Airlines was the first airline to connect Victoria with Vietnam, but this is the first time they have connected the two capitals and we are pleased to see them expanding their offering from Melbourne.”
