HCMC - Jetstar Pacific increased its aircraft fleet to seven for domestic services on Sunday when the local low-cost carrier took delivery of one new Airbus A320 at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
The new 180-seat plane is part of Jetstar Pacific’s plan to gradually replace its Boeing B737-400s and expand its all Airbus aircraft fleet to 15 by 2014. The carrier now has five Boeing B737-400s and two Airbus of the type.
Jetstar Pacific said the second Airbus A320 had registration number VNA198 and would be put into service on October 20. It will enable the second largest carrier in Vietnam after Vietnam Airlines to operate more than 40 daily domestic flights to HCMC, Hanoi, Danang, Hue, Vinh and Hai Phong.
Le Song Lai, chief executive officer of Jetstar Pacific, said the new Airbus aircraft would help the airline save a lot of operation and maintenance costs as well as increase domestic frequencies ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year, or Tet, early next year.
Jetstar Pacific told the Daily on Sunday that air tickets had almost sold out for certain flights from HCMC to Vinh, Hue and Haiphong from the 26th to 30th of the twelfth lunar month and the 6th to 8th of the first lunar month on the opposite directions.
Jetstar Pacific has plans to operate more domestic flights before and during the Lunar New Year, which falls on the first day of the lunar year, or in February 2011.
Vietnam Airlines is mapping out plans for more flights during the Lunar New Year as fares for the flagship carrier’s flights on certain routes during this special occasion are becoming scarce.
Last Tet, Vietnam Airlines operated nearly 1,000 more domestic flights from HCMC to Hanoi and central Vietnam due to stronger demand for air travel.
