US shutdown hits Vietjet operations

Move causes delay in aircraft delivery

- NARUMON KASEMSUK

The US government shutdown caused a delay in Boeing’s delivery of an aircraft to Vietjet Thailand, prompting the airline to cancel its new direct flights to Tokyo and Osaka initially scheduled for December, while the airline already clarified the situation to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT).

Vietjet Thailand informed passengers who booked tickets for the new direct flights set to operate between Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) and Tokyo (Narita) and Osaka on Oct 3 that those services had been cancelled due to operational reasons.

The airline issued a statement yesterday stating that the derailed plans were actually attributed to the delay in the delivery of a Boeing 737-8 originally scheduled to take place at the end of October.

The delivery has been disrupted by the US government shutdown.

The affected flights included the direct routes to Osaka starting from Dec 2, 2025 through Jan 13, 2026, and those to Tokyo from Dec 15, 2025 through Jan 15, 2026.