Vietnam-based low-cost airline ‘Vietjet Air’ will soon commence direct flight service in India. However, this is not a regular flight service as it’s flight attendants would serve you in a bikini.
Vietjet Air, popularly known as ‘bikini airline’, would begin flight service between Ho Chi Minh City and New Delhi operating four days a week to feed to the growing air traffic between the two cities. The flight service will start in July this year.
The plan to introduce the flight service in India was announced by the Vietnamese low-cost airline during the Vietnam-India Business Forum on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of India-Vietnam diplomatic relationship.
The airline, founded by billionaire Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, has been making headlines for employing bikini-clad air hostess, pilots and ground staff thus making sexist marketing campaigns.
Back in 2012, the airline created a storm for using five bikini-clad flight attendants who took part in a mid-flight ‘rampwalk’ posing and dancing as beauty pageant contestants. However, the airline failed to acquire the requisite permission for the same from Vietnam’s aviation authorities and ended up paying a fine of £678.20 (around Rs 62,000). It was during this time the idea of ‘bikini airline’ occurred to Thao.
Moreover, the airline also publishes an annual calendar featuring bikini-clad models and ground staff.
Vietjet Air, which was named as one of the top 500 brands in Asia in 2016, commands 40 percent of Vietnam’s domestic market and is likely to become the country’s biggest domestic carrier.