Bamboo Airways

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Bamboo Airways is a Vietnamese airline (IATA: QH, ICAO: BAV, Callsign: BAMBOO) founded on May 31, 2017 by the FLC Group. It began flight operations on January 16, 2019 and describes itself as a “hybrid” carrier, aiming to combine some low-cost efficiency with full-service touches. Its main bases are Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi and Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, with Phu Cat Airport in Qui Nhon also serving as a base. The airline operates a Bamboo Club frequent-flyer program, a small fleet, and serves a growing network of destinations from its bases.

Bamboo Airways mainly uses Airbus A320 family jets and has pursued a plan to grow its international footprint with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The carrier built its fleet and orders around Airbus and Boeing widebody and narrowbody aircraft, starting operations with leased A320s and gradually introducing new jets, including the A320neo, to expand service from Vietnam to regional and international routes.

The airline’s expansion was accompanied by large orders for aircraft, including Airbus A321neo and Boeing 787-9s, to support fleet growth and route development. In 2022, founder Trinh Van Quyết and other FLC Group executives were arrested in a broader stock-market crackdown, and regulators began closely monitoring Bamboo Airways. The company responded with a restructuring plan and efforts to attract a strategic investor while continuing normal operations. In 2023, Him Lam Group emerged as the new owner alongside other investors, and there were ongoing discussions about financial restructuring and future ownership.

In 2024 Bamboo Airways relocated its headquarters from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and announced leadership and fleet reorganizations aimed at reducing costs and improving efficiency. By late 2023 the airline operated an all-leased fleet and continued to pursue partnerships through codeshare and interline agreements with other carriers. Today, Bamboo Airways serves about 15 destinations with a small, all-leased fleet and continues to develop its network and services under ongoing restructuring and fleet optimization.