Amid the delay in salaries, several pilots of Bamboo Airways in Vietnam have resigned in the past two months. As per the report by Reuters, around 30 foreign pilots left their positions during this period, which accounts for over 10 per cent of the airline’s total pilot workforce as of June.
The report states that some pilots have recently chosen to resign, while others have been terminated from their positions. The airline had apparently embarked on some significant restructuring measures, including adjustments to its route network, fleet and workforce. The foreign pilots had reportedly not received their August salaries, which were due on 15 September.
The current departures are also said to be part of the restructuring exercise. The airline denies that the delayed salaries have anything to do with the pilots moving on from Bamboo Airways. The airline is presently kind of stable and plans to secure additional capital from strategic investors. One of its financial supporters, Vietnam’s Sacombank (STB.HM), had expressed confidence in Bamboo Airways’ long-term prospects and appeared keen to invest more in the airline.
Nguyen Ngoc Trong, CEO, Bamboo Airways had admitted to the existence of a financial challenge in a letter to the employees. However, he also assured that the government was willing to support the airline.
Bamboo Airways, which operates both international and domestic flights had reportedly incurred losses of 17.6 trillion dong ($722 million) in the previous year.
