VietJet shares take off on stock market debut

Shares in Vietnamese budget airline VietJet soared by 20% today after its $1.2 billion listing on the Ho Chi Minh City stock exchange.

The surge reflected investor interest in the country’s first main listed airline as travel demand increases.

VietJet is known for marketing stunts like bikini-clad flight attendants and flew more than 14 million passengers last year, a rise of 51% over 2015.

The airline was granted full membership of Iata earlier in February.

The fleet comprises 30 Airbus A320s and 11 A321s operating a network of 37 domestic routes and 23 international destinations.