Female CEO and the aspiration of general aviation 'using the whole sky'

The sky is as precious as the gold forest and silver sea. This is the reason why CEO Ho Thanh Huong "spent money" to buy back Bluesky Airways when this airline was shut down, aiming at a potential market niche: General aviation.

Businesswoman Ho Thanh Huong. Photo: Bluesky Airways

We are only using a corner of the sky . When it comes to aviation, many people often think of public air transport (passengers, cargo) with large aircraft. While the sky also has flying vehicles that are not intended for public transport of passengers or cargo; and that is general aviation. According to the definition of the Law on Aviation of Vietnam, general aviation is the type of activities aimed at generating profit from civil aircraft, such as training flights, flight activities of aviation clubs, sightseeing flights, search and rescue, medical transportation, survey flights, serving agriculture, forestry and serving VIP guests with irregular charter flights... General aviation uses a variety of types of aircraft: fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, hot air balloons, gliders, experimental aircraft, ultra-light sport aircraft, rescue helicopters... While in Vietnam, "general aviation" is a concept that not many people know, in the world, this market has developed rapidly. Reviving an airline, reaching the dream of "Using the whole sky" Looking at the charming little woman, few people know that Ms. Huong is the "captain" of an airline, and has just completed a pilot training course and become the first female entrepreneur in Vietnam to receive a private pilot license. This temperament did not come out of nowhere. Ms. Huong was a Biology student at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted; after studying at a domestic university and graduating with a master's degree from the University of Nottingham (UK), she was recruited directly into the aviation industry. As if by fate, she has been working for more than twenty years in the job of leasing and purchasing aircraft at major airlines. During her work, she had the opportunity to approach many economic experts and large enterprises in the aviation industry around the world. From here, she realized that general aviation covers the exploitation of many types of aircraft as well as services. "Vietnam has a lot of potential to develop general aviation activities. If we pay attention to creating a legal corridor and operating regulations, this activity will bring great benefits to the country," said the CEO of Bluesky Airways. Thinking is doing, in 2021 when Bluesky Airways was "terminated", Ms. Huong decided to invest in this airline and set up a project to request the restoration of the revoked license. Immediately after being re-granted a general aviation license in mid-2021, Bluesky Airways took off its first charter flight in early 2022.

Experience a flight with Bluesky Airways. Photo: Bluesky Airways

“Deciding to invest in a “dead” airline is not only reckless. More than that, it is a love for the profession, a desire to develop general aviation to realize the dream of using the entire sky of aviation workers,” said CEO Ho Thanh Huong. Up to now, after 3 years of revival, Bluesky Airways has been operating Falcon 8X, Falcon 2000, Gulfstream G650, G450 and Boeing BBJ aircraft. Currently, Bluesky Airways customers travel domestically and internationally on business aircraft in the form of chartering the entire aircraft or chartering flights on demand. Aspiration for prosperity CEO Ho Thanh Huong said that the cost of a charter flight on demand is not small, so Bluesky Airways' customer base is “super small” but “super rich” and the service requirements of this customer base are also “super special”. However, with the slogan “devotion”, the Bluesky Airways staff has been affirming its leading position in the charter flight market in Vietnam. Ms. Huong said: “Bluesky Airways does not only want to serve VIP customers. We operate in the general aviation sector not only with the goal of increasing revenue and contributing to the country’s economic development. But also to “shoulder” the mission of creating jobs and supporting the community with businesses in the same industry.

Businesswoman Ho Thanh Huong - Chairman of the Board of Directors, General Director of Bluesky Airways next to the Vietnamese-branded aircraft. Photo: Bluesky Airways

CEO Ho Thanh Huong dreams of medical transport flights, rescue flights for people in remote areas when landslides, flash floods, and rising water levels occur. Flights serving agricultural and forestry production, experience flights, sightseeing flights, sport flights to stimulate tourism... "Unfortunately, sightseeing flights, emergency flights, hobby flying clubs in Vietnam... are almost undeveloped. This may be partly due to the unclear policies for these types of flights," CEO Ho Thanh Huong shared. For example, Decree 125/2015-ND-CP of the Prime Minister stipulates in detail the management of flight activities, including specific regulations on airspace for general aviation activities. However, Vietnam has not yet planned and built airspaces and airports with parameters, flight methods, and landing approaches specifically for general aviation activities. CEO of Bluesky Airways hopes that the authorities will pay attention to adjusting and supplementing aviation policies, regulations and rules for general aviation activities in Vietnam. On that basis, a complete legal corridor will be created, suitable for practical operations, encouraging more businesses to participate in this potential market.

The sky is as precious as the gold forest and silver sea. This is the reason why CEO Ho Thanh Huong "spent money" to buy back Bluesky Airways when this airline was shut down, aiming at a potential market niche: General aviation.

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