Latest news with #SunPhuQuocAirways
Business Times
13-06-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Vietnam's Sun Group injects 1 trillion dong into new leisure-focused airline
[HO CHI MINH CITY] Vietnamese real estate and hospitality giant Sun Group has launched its leisure-focused airline, Sun PhuQuoc Airways (SPA), with an equity contribution of 1 trillion dong (S$49.2 million). The amount is part of a total investment of 2.5 trillion dong for the 50-year project. The developer said SPA plans to start ticket sales by October. With an air transport licence issued by Vietnam's Ministry of Construction, the airline – named after the country's largest island and tourist hot spot in the south – is set to operate both commercial and charter flights. It will connect Phu Quoc with major cities within and beyond Vietnam, including markets currently lacking direct air links such as Russia, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Australia. SPA is developing a hub-and-spoke network model centred on Phu Quoc, with a focus on 'leisure aviation' – that is, air travel primarily for recreation, tourism and holiday purposes. While the island will serve as the airline's central hub, its main operations will be in Van Don International Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh – home to Ha Long Bay, also one of Vietnam's most iconic tourist destinations. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up The new airline is part of Sun Group's integrated ecosystem in Phu Quoc, which encompasses integrated resorts, high-end residential projects and entertainment complexes. In 2022, the hospitality giant opened luxury airline Sun Air, which offers high-end private services via its fleet of ultra-luxury business jets, helicopters and seaplanes. SPA said it is in talks with Boeing to purchase aircraft, and will use narrow-body planes from Airbus for its early operations. A Vietnam News Agency report last month showed that SPA aims to have a fleet of 31 aircraft by 2030. Sun Group chairman Dang Minh Truong said the new airline 'represents a strategic pillar in our vision to build a world-class ecosystem of tourism, resorts, entertainment and aviation.' Phu Quoc's international airport is slated for a major upgrade ahead of the 2027 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum, which will be held on the island. It is slated to handle up to 18 million passengers annually, 4.5 times its current capacity. Sun Group's new airline is expected to ease transportation pressures during the event and boost tourism on the island, accommodating thousands of delegates, top leaders and business executives from the 21 Apec member economies. SPA will operate alongside other home-grown airlines, including flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, budget airline VietJet Air, Bamboo Airways and Vietravel Airlines. The country welcomed 9.2 million international arrivals in the first five months of 2025, representing a 21.3 per cent year-on-year increase, according to the National Statistics Office.
Reuters
13-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Sun PhuQuoc Airways to operate Airbus jets, in talks with Boeing for Dreamliner
HANOI, June 13 (Reuters) - Vietnam's newly established Sun PhuQuoc Airways will initially operate Airbus's narrow-body aircraft, including the A321neo, it said on Friday. The airline is also in talks with Boeing to purchase wide-body aircraft, including Boeing 787-9 and Boeing 787-10 jets, it said in a statement. State media reported last month the airline aimed launch its maiden flight in the fourth quarter of this year and to expand its fleet to 31 planes by the end of 2030. The company aims to begin ticket sales from the end of October, it said in its Friday statement. Sun PhuQuoc will focus on services between Phu Quoc Island and Vietnam's major cities, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, and also destinations in Japan, South Korea and China, it said.
Skift
28-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
First Creative Details Emerge for Vietnam's New 'Resort in the Sky' Airline
Putting Bill Bensley at the creative helm is a bold statement of intent for Sun PhuQuoc Airways, but turning a lifestyle concept into a viable airline remains a challenging task. A new Vietnamese airline is hoping to take flight by the end of the year: Sun PhuQuoc Airways (SPA) will be operated by a subsidiary of local real estate and hospitality developer Sun Group. Much is still unknown about the venture, which intends to operate a hub-and-spoke network from Phu Quoc island in southern Vietnam. But attendees at the Skift Asia Forum in Bangkok this month heard some exclusive details from Bill Bensley, creative director of Bensley Design Studios. 'We're going to build – within three years – this 40-fleet airline,' Bensley told Skift CEO and co-founder, Rafat Ali. 'They want it to be very, very high-end … with half the plane in executive class and first class.' Bensley spoke of his love for Vietnam and explained how this will manifest itself on the aircraft: 'I've identified about 35 of the most beautiful parts of Vietnam. These parts [will] then be painted full-body on the plane. Instead of a stripe across or a swish, the entire image of these 35 places are painted on the outside of the plane.' Bensley said this imagery will 'carry through' into the aircraft. He will take a creative lead on numerous passenger-facing elements such as uniforms and menus. 'It's the whole deal, the whole imaging,' he added. Bensley previously worked with the Sun Group on seven hotels in the region. Watch Bill Bensley in Conversation with Rafat Ali at the Skift Asia Forum 2025: RECORDED MAY 2025. The investment case for the new carrier has received the green light from Vietnam's prime minister. Despite the ambitious timeline, there are no details about how SPA will source its aircraft. The Sun Group already operates a private jet business in Vietnam, however these planes are much smaller than those that will be needed for the new airline. A statement from Sun Group said that along with domestic routes, it is considering international destinations, including Japan, South Korea, and China. The company is using the term 'resort airline' to describe its vision: 'This innovative model combines transportation and tourism, where each flight is not merely a means of getting from one place to another but the beginning of a vacation, starting the moment passengers step on board and journey through the skies,' said a company statement. The wider ambition is to 'transform every aircraft into a resort in the sky,' with amenities and services designed to create a sense of leisure and relaxation. Sun Group already has a significant footprint in Phu Quoc through its hospitality and leisure portfolio. The company says it will package flights with these existing products. A First-Time Project Established as a go-to name for hotel, landscape, and interior designs, the world of aviation is new to Bensley and his team. 'It's a totally new thing for me. First time ever, but that's the thing that I like to do... We are asked to do a new project about once a day, so it's a great honor to be able to be very choosy about what we do,' he told the Skift Asia Forum. Vietnam's Golden Visa Ambition to 23-Million Tourist Target More Chinese tourists are now choosing Vietnam over Thailand. Smart visa policies could help keep it that way. The easier it is to get in, the more likely travelers, and their wallets, will follow. Read More If realized, Sun PhuQuoc Airways will join Vietnam's five other major airlines. As well as flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, these include low-cost operators Vietjet Air and Pacific Airlines. An initial investment of 2.5 trillion Vietnamese dong ($96m) has been allotted to the project. An undertaking of SPA's scale will require a figure many times higher, however additional sources of capital are currently unclear. Major airlines already serving Phu Quoc include AirAsia, China Eastern, Korean Air, and Scoot. Skift analysis of data from Cirium Diio suggests around 25 carriers fly to the island, although some of these are only on a seasonal or charter basis. What am I looking at? The performance of airline sector stocks within the ST200. The index includes companies publicly traded across global markets including network carriers, low-cost carriers, and other related companies. The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. See more airlines sector financial performance. Read the full methodology behind the Skift Travel 200.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Vietnam approves establishment of Sun PhuQuoc Airways, Infra News, ET Infra
Advt Vietnam's Prime Minister, Pham Minh Chinh , has approved the establishment of a new airline, Sun PhuQuoc Airways , the official Vietnam News Agency reported on Tuesday.A spokesperson for the company confirmed the approval in an email to Reuters on Wednesday, without giving further airline, the parent company of which is real estate and hospitality developer Sun Group , will begin operations with an initial investment of $96 million and plans to launch its first flight by the fourth quarter of 2025, VNA aviation market in Vietnam, a country with a population of 100 million, is growing rapidly since recovering from the COVID pandemic, prompting businesses to vie for market PhuQuoc Airways - set to operate alongside national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines Bamboo Airways , and Vietravel Airlines - aims to expand its fleet to 31 aircraft by 2030, the VNA report said. The new airline will provide both commercial and charter Group has previously launched Sun Air, a high-end airline offering premium private jet services to wealthy customers, according to its saw a 23 per cent year-on-year increase in visitor numbers in the first four months of this year, with 7.7 million tourists arriving in the country, according to official data.
Business Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Vietnam approves establishment of Sun PhuQuoc Airways
[HANOI] Vietnam's Prime Minister, Pham Minh Chinh, has approved the establishment of a new airline, Sun PhuQuoc Airways, the official Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported on Tuesday (May 20). A spokesperson for the company confirmed the approval in an e-mail to Reuters on Wednesday, without giving further details. The airline, the parent company of which is real estate and hospitality developer Sun Group, will begin operations with an initial investment of 2.5 trillion dong (S$124 million) and plans to launch its first flight by the fourth quarter of 2025, VNA reported. The aviation market in Vietnam, a country with a population of 100 million, is growing rapidly since recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, prompting businesses to vie for market share. Sun PhuQuoc Airways – set to operate alongside national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, low-cost carrier VietJet, Bamboo Airways, and Vietravel Airlines – aims to expand its fleet to 31 aircraft by 2030, the VNA report said. The new airline will provide both commercial and charter flights. Sun Group has previously launched Sun Air, a high-end airline offering premium private jet services to wealthy customers, according to its website. Vietnam saw a 23 per cent year-on-year increase in visitor numbers in the first four months of this year, with 7.7 million tourists arriving in the country, according to official data. REUTERS
