HO CHI MINH CITY, June 12 (Bernama) - Thai VietJetAir, an airline venture between Vietnam's VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Co. (VietJetAir) and its Thai partner, plans to launch services in the third quarter of this year.

An official from VietJetAir confirmed the plan after the no-frills carrier took delivery of more Airbus A320 aircraft to meet surging summer travel demand on the domestic market and facilitate future expansion, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reports quoting Saigon Times Daily.

VietJetAir expanded its Airbus A320 fleet to 15 last week after taking delivery of three new jetliners.

The second largest carrier in Vietnam after the nation's flagship Vietnam Airlines plans to take delivery of three more aircraft toward the end of this year when the airline venture launches its services.

Last year, VietJetAir inked a memorandum of understanding with Thailand's Kan Air to form an aviation joint venture headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, with registered capital of some US$6.5 million. The Vietnamese side owns 49 percent of this venture.

VietJetAir said after the deal signing last year that Thai VietJetAir had plans to operate domestic and international flights from Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok this year, with two to three Airbus A320s.

The joint venture is part of VietJetAir's strategy to expand its operations in Asia and offer more options for passengers, particularly those in Vietnam and Thailand to travel to Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and other destinations in the region.

VietJetAir started to fly in Vietnam in December 2011 before launching daily service between Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok in February last year and the Hanoi-Bangkok route in June in the same year.

The carrier conducts more than 700 domestic and international flights a week at present.

VietJetAir said the three new Airbus A320 aircraft would enable it to provide the market with more than 37,800 seats a week in summer, particularly for those routes to tourist sites in coastal areas.

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Thai Vietjetair To Launch Services In Q3