Background: Vietjet launched back in 2011 as Vietnam’s first privately owned airline and has grown into the country's biggest budget carrier, with a fleet of over 100 aircrafts.

What happened: Now, Vietjet appears to be quietly plotting a domestic Australian expansion. Australia's aviation regulator registered a Boeing 737 to Cherrie Aviation, a company directed by Vietjet's vice president. To top it off, Cherrie Aviation has secured Sydney Airport slots starting late October, with rumours suggesting flights between Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane by Christmas.

What else: Australia hasn't exactly been a walk in the park for a third airline. Plenty of ambitious contenders have tried to crack the Qantas-Virgin duopoly... and failed, like Rex, Bonza and Tiger Airlines just to name a few.

What's the key learning?

💡 In aviation, the most valuable real estate isn't the terminal… it's getting the rights to an airport slot. An airport slot gives an airline explicit permission to land or depart at a designated time. Without a slot, the flight can't operate.  

💡 Sydney Airport operates under strict operational limits and rules. Movements are capped at 80 per hour alongside a mandatory 11 pm to 6 am curfew, while slots are heavily protected by "historical precedence." You kinda need to have been flying last year to get the best flying times this year.

💡 But by securing a coveted Sydney slot, it allows Vietjet to bypass major barriers to entry and position itself to challenge Qantas and Virgin Australia. But the big question is: for how long?