Bamboo Airways axes all Australian routes amid massive restructure

A major international airline has culled all Australian routes and axed local staff with flights to two major cities now showing as “unavailable”.

A major international airline has culled all of its long-haul flights, including routes between Vietnam and Frankfurt, London, Sydney, and Melbourne.

Bamboo Airways — a Vietnamese carrier — that launched in 2022, will no longer fly to the two major Aussie cities, axing all local staff as it undergoes a massive restructure.

Despite a big push into the Australian market early last year with direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh City, along with Melbourne to Hanoi — a quick search on the Bamboo Airways website will now show the routes are “unavailable” and “flights not found”.

It comes as the airline focuses on improving commercial efficiency by reducing routes with “low passenger demand” and increasing operation on high-demand routes.

Vietnamese airline Bamboo Airways will no longer fly into and out of Australia.

“It is with a heavy heart that I advise all Bamboo Airways Australia staff have been made redundant including my National Sales Manager role,” former National Sales Manager Australia & New Zealand, Brad Crawford, wrote in a post on LinkedIn over the weekend.

Other international routes being abandoned include London and Frankfurt, with the carrier also set to downsize to a fleet of single-aisle jets on “key domestic routes” such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, along with “tourist routes with high demand and international routes to Southeast Asia”.

It is understood the carrier is looking to sell its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners after recently posting a $700 million loss, with a focus on downsizing, according to 7News.

In a statement shared to its site, Bamboo Airways said it was charting a new course and pushing ahead with “long-term restructuring” that will enhance its competitiveness, capacity and autonomy.

It has trimmed back its international routes with flights from London and Frankfurt also being abandoned. It comes as part of a widespread restructure.

“For the route network, Bamboo Airways has improved commercial efficiency by reducing the frequency of a number of inefficient routes with low passenger demand while increasing operation on routes recording high demand,” the statement read.

“This has enabled the airline to optimally meet market capacity and enhance the overall performance of its network.”

Bamboo Airlines launched in 2022 and operated flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh and Melbourne to Hanoi.

“Bamboo Airways has taken significant steps to enhance its customer care policy and extended its support to its network of domestic and foreign partners and agents, all aiming to safeguard the best interests of every party involved.

“In the event of flight adjustment, affected passengers will be promptly notified and assisted in adherence to the airline’s policies and applicable laws.”

The airline described the network revamp as a “crucial opportunity to grow” in the future, adding that it aligns “with the major development milestones of Vietnam’s aviation”.

“With the expected opening of the T3 Passenger Terminal at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in 2025 and the Long Thanh International Airport in 2026, Bamboo Airways is poised to capitalise on these developments for progress and success.”

Meanwhile, a Jetstar spokesman said the low-cost Aussie airline is “monitoring demand to and from Ho Chi Minh City”.

“Ho Chi Minh City continues to be a popular and budget-friendly destination in Jetstar’s international network, with up to seven return flights operating from both Melbourne and Sydney each week.”

“[We] currently have thousands of low fares available between the popular Vietnamese destination and Melbourne and Sydney.”