Cherrie Aviation

[Harrison_133]

Apparently VH-T8A is in the VietJet livery.

 

[Chatswood]

Cherrie Aviation’s CEO does his first interview with the AFR. He also addresses Vietjet’s legal issue, including what will happen if the receivers seize new planes from Boeing’s production line (pick up order books from other airlines, or lease from Thai Vietjet)

Vietjet Australian offshoot Cherrie Aviation plans to start flying from the middle of next year, offering competition to Qantas and Virgin Australia on domestic routes, although new chief executive David May says he doesn’t intend to start a price war.

In his first public comments since taking the job, May, a former marketing boss at Jetstar, said Cherrie would initially target leisure travellers on trunk routes servicing Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and possibly Cairns.

Vietjet’s Cherrie Aviation reveals plan to take on Qantas, Virgin

In his first interview, the new chief executive of Australia’s new domestic airline says he won’t engage in a price war with the established players.

www.afr.com

 

[Layslow]

What a Bonza idea!

 

[Saab34]

Financial story here seems murky.

Going after the Tiger market share doesn’t really seem logical considering even when TT went through that transformation/turnaround they somewhat became more stable, but barely still made any money. And they had 20 aircraft.

 

[Q Class Plebeian]

Financial story here seems murky.

Going after the Tiger market share doesn’t really seem logical considering even when TT went through that transformation/turnaround they somewhat became more stable, but barely still made any money. And they had 20 aircraft.

Unfortunately, Vietjet Australian plans have hit a significant and costly speed bump .An expensive legal action out the UK. The story is in today's Financial Review, which is behind the paywall.However , the same story is on the Straits Times.

VietJet hit with global asset freeze in dispute with London investment firm FitzWalter

VietJet hit with a global asset freeze in a UK court dispute over a US$250 million debt to London firm FitzWalter Capital. Read more at straitstimes.com.

www.straitstimes.com

 

[Saab34]

That reported weeks back and today’s article mentions they have intend to get around that. Who are the local investors here I wonder?
I still just don’t see why anyone even bothers, would be better ways to make a ROI.

Fancy spending hundreds of million to breakeven then on a small sub fleet make a couple of million tops. I can think of many other more wise investments that would take such capital vs a low cost carrier in Australia.

 

[AuSammy]

My brain is going which airport and which fuel company and which caterer is going to give them advance credit with what is going on at present?

 

[Q Class Plebeian]

My brain is going which airport and which fuel company and which caterer is going to give them advance credit with what is going on at present?

WSI ?

 

[Saab34]

WSI ?

Considering how many mascot slots they applied for it seems they are not overly interested

More competition at Mascot would likely dilute margins further at WSI.

 

[LionKing]

Vietjet’s Cherrie Aviation reveals plan to take on Qantas, Virgin

In his first interview, the new chief executive of Australia’s new domestic airline says he won’t engage in a price war with the established players.

www.afr.com

Cherrie Aviation is gettting serious.

They will launch in mid-2027 with 10x B7M8 aircraft, already hired crew and pilots whilst planes will come from Thai Vietjet.

We can also expect Skyboss service and earn Skyjoy miles and status - though Skyjoy itself does not belong to Star Alliance or SkyTeam is a big problem.

 

[Saab34]

Probably more intends to launch mid next year, CASA on the other hand will decide the real date, and like Bonza was pushed back multiple times.

 

[markis10]

The backer for Cherie has been revealed along with the first aircraft’s paint job:



My information came from a reputable source for sausages……

 

[Harrison_133]

Second aircraft is VH-T8C.

Shouldn't be too far behind the first.

 

[Saab34]

Seems like the Vietjet branding with Aussie flag. Cherrie Aviation will probably just be a subsidiary , by name only

 

[clifford]

Isn't Vietjet in some kind of financial difficulty?

 

[moa999]

Isn't Vietjet in some kind of financial difficulty?

That's more Air Asia.

VietJet has some legal issue relating to aircraft from the Covid period but it seems more like a don't want to pay rather than financial issues.

 

[Harrison_133]

Another AFR article on Cherrie CEO David May. Make of it what you will.

In a 2024 podcast with his wife, May claimed he was fired by Jetstar after a Powderfinger concert in Brisbane and heavy drinking at an offsite in Bali. Yesterday he backtracked and said he had not been fired but resigned to join iSelect, and that the podcast, which was promoting his wife's book, "was a mix of fact and fiction designed to pique the interest of her readership" and it was almost all fictionalised.

In last week's interview with the AFR, he said he had "probably about seven" different roles and was the airline's chief commercial officer from April 2009 to April 2011, but Medibank CEO David Koczkar was CCO at Jetstar from 2008 to 2014. May then clarified in an email that he had been CCO for three periods totalling 18 months on an interim basis.

He was also declared personally bankrupt in 2016, but this has since been discharged.

Cherrie also continues to emphasise it is a separate legal entity to Vietjet. May even makes the claim it is "Australia's most Australian airline."

Source (paywalled): Vietjet’s man in Australia said he was ‘fired’ from Jetstar