Summary
- Bamboo Airways will reportedly begin restructuring its fleet in October 2023 to enhance efficiency and reduce costs after posting a $722 million loss in 2022.
- The airline currently operates a various fleet of 30 aircraft consisting of Airbus, Embraer, and Boeing models.
- Bamboo Airways is considering downsizing its fleet and reducing the variety of aircraft types in operation to streamline operations and save costs.
Vietnamese airline Bamboo Airways will begin its aircraft fleet restructuring process in October 2023, citing the necessity to increase efficiency, further its growth, and optimize operating costs, in line with a report by Reuters. The news of the airline’s fleet restructuring got here after it posted a $722 million loss for 2022.
Increasing the uniformity and downsizing the fleet
Bamboo Airways, a comparatively recent entrant to the Southeast Asian aviation market, currently operates a fleet of 30 aircraft, in line with Planespotters.net. For an airline that commenced operations in 2019, a fleet of 30 jets is sort of typical.
Although 30 aircraft may not seem to be a big number, this airline’s fleet is notably diverse, featuring three several types of aircraft. Nearly all of Bamboo’s fleet consists of Airbus models, with 12 Airbus A320s and 10 Airbus A321s in its lineup.
As well as, Bamboo has five Embraer ERJ-190 regional jets and three Boeing 787 Dreamliner widebodies. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner plays a major role within the airline’s international development plans for long-haul routes to Europe, Australia, and the US.
Photo: Thanhliemnguyen / Shutterstock
Airlines operating diverse fleets often face significant financial and operational challenges. That is as a result of the necessity for pilots, training, and maintenance staff able to handling various aircraft types. Meanwhile, airlines having a single-type fleet can streamline operations by avoiding the complexities of managing different aircraft, allowing them to allocate their financial resources more efficiently.
Because it stands, multiple reports suggest that the Vietnamese airline will potentially be downsizing its aircraft fleet and reducing the variety of aircraft types in operation. Interestingly, Bamboo is the one airline within the Vietnamese market that operates a fleet of Embraer aircraft.
In accordance with a report by the Vietnamese media outlet VNexpress.net, Bamboo Airways is exploring options to scale down its aircraft fleet as a cost-saving measure. Nonetheless, the airline still needs to reveal the particular number or kinds of aircraft that shall be taken out of service.
Easy Flying has asked Bamboo Airways for a comment.
Operational difficulties
The recent months have proved to be difficult for the Vietnamese airline undergoing a restructuring process. Easy Flying has recently reported on Bamboo’s alleged struggles to pay its pilots. As many as 30 pilots have reportedly left Bamboo within the last two months after delays in receiving their wages.
Photo: Thanhliemnguyen / Shutterstock
Airline staff have previously experienced salary delays, but this marks the primary instance where foreign pilots, who constitute a significant slice of the airline’s 300-strong pilot community, have been impacted by the difficulty.
Operating inside a particular hybrid framework that falls between full-service carriers and low-cost airlines, Bamboo can have faced challenges in establishing a transparent market identity in a competitive sector with rivals equivalent to Vietjet and Vietnam Airlines. Nevertheless, in an effort to dispel any speculation, the airline released an announcement affirming its commitment to ongoing standard operations.
Sources: Reuters, VNexpress.net