Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao

Chairwoman — Vietjet Air

About Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao

Key facts Role: Chairwoman Organisation: Vietjet Aviation Joint Stock Company Country: Vietnam Sector: Aviation Headline figures: More than 13.4 million passengers in the first half of 2026; first-half revenue up 44 per cent to VND51.5 trillion Dr Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao is turning Vietjet from a budget airline into a regional aviation group. In the past two months alone, the carrier she chairs has set up a dedicated maintenance company, signed a letter of intent with engine maker CFM International on servicing LEAP engines in Vietnam, and on 13 September 2026 signed agreements in Paris with the French technology group Thales covering aircraft maintenance, digital technology, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity (CafeF, 13 September 2026). Behind those deals is an order book of more than 600 Airbus and Boeing aircraft that the group expects to take delivery of by 2035. The role As chairwoman of Vietjet Aviation Joint Stock Company, listed in Ho Chi Minh City, Thao sets the strategy for a group that flew more than 13.4 million passengers on about 72,000 flights in the first half of 2026. It operates 213 routes, 167 of them international, according to the company's 30 July results statement. First-half consolidated revenue rose 44 per cent to VND51.5 trillion and after-tax profit was VND1.37 trillion. Consolidated assets stood at VND149.1 trillion at the end of June. The ch-aviation database counts 135 aircraft flying under Vietjet brands across its Vietnamese, Thai and Kazakh operations. She also holds a second power base in finance. HDBank's 2025 annual report lists her as permanent vice chairwoman of the lender's board, with more than 20 years at the bank. It describes her as having built a group that spans banking and finance, aviation, technology, consumer goods and investment. The report styles her "Labor Hero, Dr." and gives her a doctorate in economic cybernetics from the Mendeleev Institute. The fleet plan The fleet plan sets the scale of her ambition. Disclosed commitments include 200 Boeing 737 MAX jets, 40 Airbus A330-900neos and cumulative orders for 280 A321neos across the Vietnamese and Thai operators. The group also has commitments to dry-lease ten COMAC C909 regional jets. Thai Vietjet is adding more 737-8s, and Vietjet Qazaqstan, which ch-aviation said was due to receive its first 737-8 in September 2026, is building services in Central Asia. In the first half the airline opened routes to China, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic. It announced a direct Ho Chi Minh City to Colombo service in the presence of Vietnam's General Secretary and State President To Lam and Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya. Into maintenance The move into maintenance is the most strategic shift. In August 2025 Vietjet broke ground on an aircraft maintenance centre at the new Long Thanh airport, with investment of close to US$100 million. Its two hangars will be able to service up to ten aircraft at once, including for other airlines. In August 2026 it put VND285 billion into a new 95 per cent-owned subsidiary, International Technical Services. It has also agreed to develop a maintenance centre at U-Tapao airport in Thailand. The CFM agreement is tied to the group's plan to fly 200 Boeing 737-8 and 737-8-200 aircraft powered by LEAP-1B engines. Vietjet says it already uses AI in pilot and cabin-crew recruitment, in crew scheduling and through a fuel-analytics platform that its supplier says can cut fuel burn by up to 2 per cent. Regional reach Her regional reach is growing with every route. According to the company, Vietjet is expanding across South Asia, Central Asia and especially Europe, and it runs affiliated airlines in Thailand and Kazakhstan. She is among the most prominent figures in Vietnam's private sector. What to watch: the delivery pace of the Boeing and Airbus orders, the launch of the maintenance operations at Long Thanh, and whether margins hold as fuel and financing costs rise. She ranks 12th because she controls a fast-expanding regional airline group and holds a senior seat at one of Vietnam's leading private banks. Sources CafeF, Tỷ phú Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo… bắt tay tập đoàn công nghệ Pháp [Thales]… , 13 Sep 2026 Vietjet Investor Relations, Vietjet accelerates growth via international expansion, fleet order of over 600 Aircraft… , 30 Jul 2026 ch-aviation, VietJetAir expects over 600 aircraft by 2035 , 7 Aug 2026 HDBank Annual Report 2025 (English), Apr 2026

Why this entry is on the list

She ranks 12th because she controls a fast-expanding regional airline group and holds a senior seat at one of Vietnam's leading private banks. Vietjet flew more than 13.4 million passengers in the first half of 2026 and has an order book of more than 600 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and she is permanent vice chairwoman of HDBank's board.