Bamboo Airways is reportedly preparing to launch regular scheduled flights to both Frankfurt and Munich from mid-January. Before the pandemic really kicked off, the airline revealed plans to launch regular flights to Munich. Meanwhile, its jets have been seen at Frankfurt Airport on several repatriation missions.

While 2021 saw a substantial short-haul recovery within Europe and long-haul to North America once the US reopened, flights to Asia are still lacking slightly behind. If the latest Bamboo Airways news is anything to go by, it seems that 2022 may be the year that this sector sees a recovery despite the current threat of Omicron.

Targetting Europe

Bamboo Airways first took to the skies around two years ago, but it has gone from strength to strength in that time. With an order for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the carrier had always planned to go long-haul, and Europe was a part of this plan.

It seems that the airline is coming closer to realizing its European ambitions. German aviation website aeroTELEGRAPH reports that Bamboo Airways plans to launch flights to Frankfurt and Munich. A weekly flight is planned to each from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. The publication reports that these flights will start on January 16th, though no flights are bookable yet. Right before the onset of the pandemic, Bamboo Airways had signed an MOU to begin services to Munich.

Bamboo Airways, Munich, Frankfurt
Bamboo Airways would likely face competition from Vietnam Airlines once restrictions are relaxed. Photo: Getty Images

As things stand, there is currently no competition for direct flights between Vietnam and Germany, according to schedule data from Cirium. Vietnam Airlines' aircraft were a common sight in Frankfurt before the pandemic. As the schedule currently stands, there are only 18 flights planned between the two countries until November 30th, 2022.

Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests.

Once travel restrictions ease, it would be expected that Vietnam Airlines would expand its schedule once again. In January 2019, the airline scheduled 88 flights between the two countries from both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

Also eying Australia

It seems that Europe isn't the only long-haul destination in Bamboo Airways' sights. According to ch-aviation.com, the airline is looking to launch twice-weekly flights to Australia from April 1st. These would fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Melbourne, with the publication remarking that it would be the first new international route at the airport since the start of the pandemic.

Bamboo Airways Getty
At just two years old, the airline has grown rapidly. Photo: Getty Images

The airline will operate long-haul flights with its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. So far, it has just three of the aircraft, which have been used for a range of repatriation missions throughout the pandemic. Boeing reports that it has outstanding orders for ten more 787 Dreamliners, while ch-aviation data reveals that it will also take a second-hand aircraft delivered to Hainan Airlines.

Today, the airline operates 27 other aircraft. According to ch-aviation, this consists of,

  • 1x Airbus A319
  • 6x Airbus A320
  • 6x Airbus A320neo
  • 3x Airbus A321
  • 6x Airbus A321neo
  • 5x Embraer E190

Have you flown with Bamboo Airways? Are you excited to see their long-haul plans? Let us know what you think and why in the comments!