VietJet Air

Foundation delays

Founded in 2007, the airline's founding team included Robert Hughes, an American who led the company through its initial year. The airline has its head office in the Vạn Phúc Diplomatic Corps in Ba Đình district, Hanoi It was the first privately owned airline to be established in Vietnam, and as of its launch in December 2011, it became the second private airline (after Air Mekong) to offer domestic service in Vietnam, as well as the fifth airline overall not counting Indochina Airlines, which ceased operations in November 2009 to offer civil domestic flights, after Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, Air Mekong and the Vietnam Air Service Company (VASCO). During its initial plan, the Hanoi-based airline stated its intention to offer flights to Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, gradually expanding its network to include other Asian destinations, such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Melbourne, and cities in South China like Beijing. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao has been the airline's President and CEO since December 2011.

Initially, VietJet had shown the intention to commence flights in late 2008 or early 2009. Throughout the next few years, the expected launch date was repeatedly pushed back, first to late 2009, then mid-2010. Airline officials gave different reasons for the delays, including increased fuel prices and other financial problems, as well as unresolved branding conflicts with the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV).

Although Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia announced in February 2010 that it planned to purchase a 30% stake in the airline through a joint venture agreement, the carrier rescinded its plans in October 2011, citing "a failure to obtain Vietnamese regulatory approvals".

By February 2011, VietJet was said to be completing final stages prior to launch before its operation license expired in June. The airline's maiden flight occurred on December 25, 2011, flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.

Operations

The Vietnam aviation authority fined VietJet Air US$960 in 2012 for organizing five women of candidates in a local beauty contest to perform a Hawaiian themed-dance without first gaining permission to celebrate its maiden flight to the tourist hub of Nha Trang.

On February 9, 2013, the airline launched its first international flight between Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok, becoming the first Vietnamese private airline to enter the international market.

In February 2014, at the opening of that year's Singapore Airshow, the airline firmed up orders with Airbus for 60 A320 aircraft at a list price of $6.4 billion. Previously, the airline had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus for 92 planes in the A320 family.

In June 2015, at the Paris Air Show, VietJet ordered six additional Airbus A321 single-aisle jets worth $682 million at list prices from Airbus to meet demand on some of its busiest routes, like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; VietJet purchased a further 30 later that year at the Dubai Airshow, which included 21 A321neos along with 9 A321ceos. In May 2016 during a state visit of US President Barack Obama, an order for 200 Boeing 737 MAX aeroplanes was signed, with deliveries to start in 2019. In September 2016, CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao announced an order for 20 A321 single-aisle aircraft from Airbus. The signing took place during a state visit of French President Francois Hollande. During the 2018 Farnborough Airshow, Thai VietJet, VietJet's Thai subsidiary, ordered 100 Boeing 737 MAXs (80 MAX 10s and 20 MAX 8s) and 50 A321neos.

Public offering

VietJet completed its initial public offering (IPO) on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HOSE) on February 28, 2017 at an initial price of ₫90,000 (US$ 4.02) per share. The share price immediately rose by 20%, the maximum allowed for newly listed companies. The airline raised $167 million from the listing, making it the biggest IPO on the Vietnamese stock market to date and accounting for 1.5% of HOSE's capitalization at the time. The air hostess have been seen dancing around in bikini and doing bikini dance and belly dance.

New routes

On January 15, 2025, VietJet announced the addition of four new routes to China. Commencing March 30, 2025, three new routes will be added to its service namely Ho Chi Minh-Beijing Daxing, Hanoi-Guangzhou and Ho Chi Minh-Guangzhou. Subsequently, another new route between Hanoi and Beijing Daxing will begin on April 1, 2025. A new inaugural route to Auckland will begin in September 2025.

Vietjet has announced its first direct route connecting Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) and Colombo, Sri Lanka (CMB), expected to launch in August 2026 with four round-trip flights per week. The new service, announced on May 8, 2026, aims to strengthen bilateral trade, tourism, and connectivity between Vietnam and South Asia, while acting as a gateway for travelers from Australia, Japan, and South Korea.

Transition to in-house ground services

Vietjet took over ground handling services at Tan Son Nhat Airport from former partner Saigon Ground Services (SAGS) on April 20, 2025.