Vietnam could soon get a new airline that will make flying to the country easier (and possibly cheaper) than it is today.
The still-nascent Bamboo Airways may not have its aviation license yet -- that’s the official government permission it needs to operate -- but Vietnam’s Ministry of Transportation will soon “issue an air transport business license in accordance with the law," reports Reuters.
The startup airline plans to begin flights within Vietnam later this year -- or possibly in early 2019 -- using Hanoi as a hub, before adding routes to China, Japan, Korea, and eventually the U.S., according to their website.
Bamboo says they’ll serve destinations like coastal Quy Nhon, a 20-hour drive south of Hanoi; Quang Ninh, the province that’s home to gorgeous Halong Bay; and Hai Phong, a city two hours east of Hanoi by car, known for its French Colonial architecture.
And though flights on Bamboo between the U.S. and Vietnam may still be years away, there's reason for American travelers to get excited about the airline. "As a trip planner, I am most excited about their hub in Quy Nhon," says Nathan Lane, a Vietnam travel specialist for Butterfield & Robinson.
"I’ve often felt this is a fantastic and [under-visited] destination in Vietnam. There are a couple of nice hotels -- and the walking, biking, and beach activities in this town are great.” Lane says he’s often hesitated to send travelers there because it’s a long drive from just about everywhere; being able to jet in will be a game changer for this stretch of the Vietnamese coast, he says.
