Passengers cannot book tickets for the Hanoi – Con Dao route on Bamboo Airways’ website from April 1st.
Bamboo opened three direct flights to Con Dao from Hanoi, Hai Phong and Vinh at the same time in 2020. Photo: BAV.
Sharing with Tri Thuc – ZNews, Ms. M.H – the owner of a travel agency in Hanoi, said she had received a notice from Bamboo Airways about the suspension of the Hanoi – Con Dao route from April 1st.
“This is a route operated exclusively by Bamboo Airways, and tickets sell very well. In the future, passengers who want to fly to Con Dao will have to fly to Ho Chi Minh City first and then connect instead of having a direct flight,” Ms. M.H added.
Currently, on Bamboo Airways’ website, customers can only book direct flights from Hanoi to Con Dao before April 1st. As of now, the airline is operating 3 flights per day with ticket prices ranging from 6 million to 11 million VND depending on economy or business class.
Tickets for the Hanoi – Con Dao route cannot be booked on Bamboo Airways’ website after April 1.
Sources from Tri Thuc – ZNews at Bamboo Airways confirmed that the airline has sent information to its agents about temporarily suspending ticket bookings for the Hanoi – Con Dao route from April 1st. However, the decision to completely stop the flight route is still being considered by the airline’s leadership.
Bamboo Airways was the pioneer in opening many routes to Con Dao from Hai Phong, Hanoi, Vinh, Thanh Hoa, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho.
Bamboo Airways’ flights use Embraer 195 jet aircraft, which offer business class cabin service. The aircraft can carry a maximum of 114 passengers with a configuration of 2 rows of seats and one aisle in the middle.
However, Bamboo Airways’ Embraer aircraft cabin is configured with only 98 seats, including 6 business class seats and 92 economy class seats. The airline is also the only operator of this type of aircraft in Vietnam.
According to Planspotters, Bamboo Airways previously owned a fleet of 10 Embraer aircraft, but currently only 3 are operational. The remaining aircraft were all reduced after the airline’s comprehensive restructuring process.
Previously, the Con Dao route was only operated by VASCO and Vietnam Airlines using ATR 72 aircraft for the Ho Chi Minh City – Con Dao segment. This aircraft can only carry a maximum of 68 passengers per flight, including 2 seats for mechanics and engineers to meet safety requirements.
Con Dao Airport was built by the French in the 19th century, with a short runway surrounded by sea and mountains. Currently, Con Dao is a civil airport with a 3C level and a military airport with a level 2 – capable of receiving ATR72, F70, and equivalent aircraft, with a capacity of 300,000 passengers per year.
The Ministry of Transport has approved the adjustment plan for the upgrade of Con Dao Airport until 2030. According to the plan, Con Dao Airport will be expanded to reach a capacity of 2 million passengers per year with 8 parking positions (adding 6 new positions); the runway will be extended by an additional 15 meters and widened by 5 meters compared to the current state, to accommodate Airbus A320/321 and equivalent aircraft; additional signal lights and flight management facilities will be installed to enable night operations.
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Source: Vietnam Insider