"VietJet is known for its young and attractive flight attendants who wear bikinis on inaugural flights to beach locations and featured similar models on its calendars, which Thao says are empowering images in Vietnam’s conservative culture.
“You have the right to wear anything you like, either the bikini or the traditional ao dai,” she said, referring to the traditional longtunic worn over loose pants. “We don’t mind people associating the airline with the bikini image. If that makes people happy, then we are happy.”
Thao wants to make VietJet the “Emirates of Asia,” modelling after the success of the Dubai-based carrier that’s the world’s biggest long-haul airline with flights to about 150 destinations. The Vietnamese budget carrier, which began operations in 2011, flies to 47 locations in the country and across Asia, and the valuation it’s seeking will make it more valuable than South Korea’s Asiana AirlinesInc. or Finnair Oyj."
