A representative of the company said it has requested permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) to use its narrow-body Airbus A319 to fly to the 16-island archipelago, a tourism hotspot in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

Currently, Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO), a subsidiary of Vietnam Airlines, is the only airline operating regular flights to the islands from Ho Chi Minh City and the southern city of Can Tho using the ATR 72 short-haul aircraft.

The Con Dao Airport has a 3C classification, meaning it can only receive ATR 72 aircraft with up to 78 passengers or equivalent. It functions for 12 hours a day and closes at night, because it does not have a runway lighting system.

A 4C upgrade is planned for the airport by 2030 so that it can receive Airbus A319 jets carrying up to 156 passengers.

Budget airline Vietjet had made a similar request in 2018 to operate flights to Con Dao with the same aircraft model, but it has not been approved.

Bamboo Airways began flying in January 2019 and operates on 40 domestic and international routes.