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Article - Airline

Vietnam's Pacific Airlines resumes operations after three-month suspension

by Jeffrey Teruel - Founder/Editor-Flights in Asia
Published on July 01, 2024

Summary

After a three month suspension, Vietnam Airlines has rebooted its subsidiary Pacific Airlines as a full-service airline.



After a three month suspension, Vietnam Airlines has rebooted its subsidiary Pacific Airlines as a full-service airline.


Following a restructuring period, Pacific Airlines was relaunched on June 26 with a fleet of three Airbus A321s leased from its parent airline Vietnam Airlines. Unlike its previous version as a budget carrier, the airline has relaunched as a full-service carrier operating domestic flights.


“The most notable change is that Pacific Airlines will provide business- and economy-class services with meal and baggage standards included in the flight ticket similar to Vietnam Airlines,” parent airline Vietnam Airlines said in a statement.


According to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the airline is operating domestic flights between Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, Da Nang, and Chu Lai. The carrier plans to increase flights between Ho Minh City and Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Hue, and Tuy Hoa. The airline will provide a total of nearly 1000 flights offering more than 180,000 seats during the peak travel season.


The airline – founded in 1991 - previously suspended operations in March amid financial difficulties. Within its first two decades of operation, Australian-based Qantas' budget group Jetstar held a 30% in the carrier as it operated as Jetstar Pacific Airways. After Vietnam Airlines purchased Jetstar's stake in 2020, the budget airline once again rebranded as Pacific Airlines. The airline is currently 98% owned by the Vietnamese flag carrier. 

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