Vietnam’s deputy prime minister has called on government ministries to aid beleaguered carrier Bamboo Airways by 31 December.
Le Minh Khai has called on the transport and finance ministries to provide support, and report to the prime minister’s office by 31 December, according to a report in Vietnam’s VnExpress news outlet.
While not going into specifics about the challenges facing Bamboo, Le said that the carrier faces “losses and debts due to certain difficulties.”
He also called on fuel provider Petrolimex, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam, and lenders to “provide assistance.”
The call follows a previous one in August. FlightGlobal has reached out to the airline for comment.
Bamboo Airways has sharply cut back its services in recent months, including the elimination of its international network, which once included destinations such as Frankfurt, London Gatwick, Melbourne, Seoul, Singapore, and Sydney.
The carrier’s booking engine shows that the airline now only flies to domestic destinations.
According to VnExpress, the elimination of international routes has seen significant job losses at the carrier.
The elimination of international routes is part of a broader restructuring aimed at stablisating the carrier after a 2023 characterised by significant high-level leadership changes and persistent concerns about its financial stability.
Cirium fleets data indicates that Bamboo Airways has nine aircraft in service: five Airbus A320 family jets, two A320neos, and two Embraer E190s. It also has nine aircraft in storage – four A320s, two A320neos, and 1 E190 – and orders for 10 Boeing 787-9s.
At the beginning of 2023, Bamboo Airways had 29 aircraft in service: three 787-9s, 21 A320/A320neo family jets, and five E190s.
