Airline apology for mid-flight bikini parade causes further backlash
An apology issued by the female CEO of budget airline Vietjet for allowing scantily-clad lingerie models to parade down the aisles of a flight carrying Vietnam’s under-23 football squad has caused a further backlash against the carrier.
In a post on Vietjet’s Facebook page, CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao claimed the performance had not been planned by the airline but instead was ‘an impromptu celebration by [the] trip’s organisers’.
She maintained that photos of the parade seen on social media were nothing to do with Vietjet, insisting they had been ‘leaked’ by an actress. The airline said staff had since been disciplined.
However, readers branded the apology insulting, claiming the airline must have had prior warning of the performance. Some called for a boycott of Vietjet.
Vietnam’s U23 football team was heading home from China, where it had been defeated by Uzbekistan in the under-23 Asian Football Confederation championship.
Photos of the risque performance by the lingerie models began to surface shortly after the plane landed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi.
The album, originated from local model Lai Thanh Huong’s Facebook account, shows the players – widely considered to be national heros – looking uncomfortable as they are surrounded by models in sparkly swimwear.
Vietjet’s apology has since been removed from Facebook.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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