Jay Lingeswara (right) on stage at Routes Asia 2026.
XI’AN, China—VietJet is pushing ahead with plans to expand into Europe via Kazakhstan as it grapples with fuel supply disruptions and surging prices.
Speaking at Routes Asia 2026, Jay Lingeswara, vice president of VietJet and newly appointed CCO of VietJet Qazaqstan, said the airline remains committed to expansion despite a challenging operating environment.
“It’s a parallel strategy that we are doing,” Lingeswara said. “We optimize what we have today, and at the same time we still explore and work on the expansion.”
The Vietnamese carrier, which carried about 28 million passengers in 2025, is dealing with fuel supply constraints in its home market, forcing short-term adjustments to its network and cost base.
“The challenge that we have today … is kind of fragile given the outlook of the geopolitical [crisis] in the Middle East region,” he said. “But we have been working very closely with the authorities … to minimize any kind of disruption that may arise due to the fuel situation.”
Vietnam relies on imports for around 60% of its jet fuel, leaving it particularly exposed to regional export restrictions. As a result, some domestic services—particularly to secondary airports—have been suspended.
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Despite those pressures, VietJet expects to operate more than 3,900 flights over the summer peak, supported by strong domestic demand. “Our focus now is to ramp up our operation … for the upcoming summer,” Lingeswara said. “The outlook for us remains very positive.”
At the same time, the airline is preparing to enter Europe, initially using a one-stop model via Kazakhstan, where it has established a joint venture carrier.
In March, Kazakhstan’s Transport Ministry confirmed that the Vietnamese LCC plans to launch a Hanoi-Almaty-Prague service from July 11, operating twice a week using Airbus A330 aircraft. The flights will operate under Kazakhstan’s open skies regime and utilize fifth-freedom rights on the Almaty-Prague sector.
“We are also looking at Germany … France and Turkey,” Lingeswara said, adding that early routes will focus on markets with strong Vietnamese diaspora demand.
The airline is also preparing for the arrival of the first of 40 Airbus A330-900 aircraft on order, which will allow nonstop services from Vietnam to Europe. “The A330neos will help us to operate nonstop flights to Europe … and reach further,” Lingeswara said, adding that deployment will be cautious given current market uncertainty.
The LCC’s existing eight A330-300s will remain in the fleet alongside the new aircraft. “We still have very good numbers on these A330s and we are happy with the performance,” he said.
Beyond Europe, VietJet continues to view North America as a long-term opportunity—although Lingeswara said entry will depend on having the right market conditions. “Our goal is to fly globally,” he said. “The North American market is always on our radar.”
Even as it expands into new regions, VietJet continues to see strong performance in existing international markets, particularly Australia, which it has served since 2023. “We launched five destinations in six months, and today we are the biggest airline between Vietnam and Australia,” Lingeswara said.
Looking ahead, he said the airline’s strategy remains focused on stimulating demand rather than competing directly for market share. “My goal is always to grow the pie bigger,” he said.
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