This April marks the 30th anniversary of Vietnam Airlines. Here are some of many memorable milestones along this journey. 

April 20, 1993: The Flag Carrier of Vietnam was established following Decision no. 745QĐ/TCCB-LD issued by the Ministry of Transport. In its first year, the airline operated flights to 17 international destinations and transported over 1 million passengers – an increase of 43% compared to 1992.

1995: Vietnam Aviation Corporation – aka Vietnam Airlines – came into being with the Flag Carrier as the core of the newly restructured aviation sector.

1997: Planes from the former Soviet Union such as IL-18s, YAK-40s, and TU134s were phased out in favor of newer Western airplanes.

1999: The Golden Lotus Plus Center was founded to improve passenger care and protect their rights.

2002: New Logo – The Golden Lotus was officially launched, signaling a new chapter in the airline’s globalization journey.

2003: The fleet was expanded with the addition of the then top-of-the-line Boeing 777 planes. Direct flights between Vietnam and France began as Vietnam Airlines’ first nonstop transcontinental route.

2006: Vietnam Airlines was awarded the IATA Operational Safety Audit certificate and admitted as an official member of IATA (International Air Transport Association). 

2010: The airline became the 10th member of the SkyTeam Airline Alliance, joining a cooperative global network that included flight routes to over 1,000 destinations.

2015: The carrier began operating officially as a joint stock company. It was the first airline in the Asia Pacific region to simultaneously operate two lines of wide-body aircraft: Airbus A350-900s and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. It also unveiled a new corporate identity.

2016: Vietnam Airlines was recognized by SkyTrax as the first and only 4-star airline in Vietnam.

2018: Modern narrow-body Airbus A321neo planes were added in an important move to further improve Vietnam Airlines’ fleet.

2019: The carrier broke records with a 100-plane fleet covering 100 routes worldwide. It generated VND 100,316 billion in consolidated revenue, VND 3,389 billion in consolidated profit before tax, and contributed nearly VND 7,930 billion to the state budget – the highest amount recorded.

2020: Measures were implemented to save costs and stay proactive, flexible, and self-sufficient; and to increase revenue, minimize Covid-19 losses, and maintain operations and business as usual.

2021: As the market recovered, Vietnam Airlines promoted restructuring and anticipating market needs. Skytrax awarded the airline five stars for its health and safety measures. It became the first Vietnamese carrier to establish direct regular flights between Vietnam and the United States.

2022: Digital transformation was promoted, and the Uplifting Services program was launched to achieve the goal of becoming the first 5-star digital airline in Vietnam.

2023: Phase 2 of the Uplifting Services program is still in progress. The international flight network is being rebuilt. Business efficacy and competitiveness have been enhanced to ensure Vietnam Airlines’ critical role in the Vietnamese aviation sector.