3 days ago
First Creative Details Emerge for Vietnam's New 'Resort in the Sky' Airline
Putting Bill Bensley at the creative helm is a bold statement of intent for Sun PhuQuoc Airways, but turning a lifestyle concept into a viable airline remains a challenging task.
A new Vietnamese airline is hoping to take flight by the end of the year: Sun PhuQuoc Airways (SPA) will be operated by a subsidiary of local real estate and hospitality developer Sun Group.
Much is still unknown about the venture, which intends to operate a hub-and-spoke network from Phu Quoc island in southern Vietnam.
But attendees at the Skift Asia Forum in Bangkok this month heard some exclusive details from Bill Bensley, creative director of Bensley Design Studios.
'We're going to build – within three years – this 40-fleet airline,' Bensley told Skift CEO and co-founder, Rafat Ali. 'They want it to be very, very high-end … with half the plane in executive class and first class.'
Bensley spoke of his love for Vietnam and explained how this will manifest itself on the aircraft: 'I've identified about 35 of the most beautiful parts of Vietnam. These parts [will] then be painted full-body on the plane. Instead of a stripe across or a swish, the entire image of these 35 places are painted on the outside of the plane.'
Bensley said this imagery will 'carry through' into the aircraft. He will take a creative lead on numerous passenger-facing elements such as uniforms and menus. 'It's the whole deal, the whole imaging,' he added.
Bensley previously worked with the Sun Group on seven hotels in the region.
Watch Bill Bensley in Conversation with Rafat Ali at the Skift Asia Forum 2025:
RECORDED MAY 2025.
The investment case for the new carrier has received the green light from Vietnam's prime minister. Despite the ambitious timeline, there are no details about how SPA will source its aircraft. The Sun Group already operates a private jet business in Vietnam, however these planes are much smaller than those that will be needed for the new airline.
A statement from Sun Group said that along with domestic routes, it is considering international destinations, including Japan, South Korea, and China.
The company is using the term 'resort airline' to describe its vision: 'This innovative model combines transportation and tourism, where each flight is not merely a means of getting from one place to another but the beginning of a vacation, starting the moment passengers step on board and journey through the skies,' said a company statement.
The wider ambition is to 'transform every aircraft into a resort in the sky,' with amenities and services designed to create a sense of leisure and relaxation.
Sun Group already has a significant footprint in Phu Quoc through its hospitality and leisure portfolio. The company says it will package flights with these existing products.
A First-Time Project
Established as a go-to name for hotel, landscape, and interior designs, the world of aviation is new to Bensley and his team.
'It's a totally new thing for me. First time ever, but that's the thing that I like to do... We are asked to do a new project about once a day, so it's a great honor to be able to be very choosy about what we do,' he told the Skift Asia Forum.
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If realized, Sun PhuQuoc Airways will join Vietnam's five other major airlines. As well as flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, these include low-cost operators Vietjet Air and Pacific Airlines.
An initial investment of 2.5 trillion Vietnamese dong ($96m) has been allotted to the project. An undertaking of SPA's scale will require a figure many times higher, however additional sources of capital are currently unclear.
Major airlines already serving Phu Quoc include AirAsia, China Eastern, Korean Air, and Scoot. Skift analysis of data from Cirium Diio suggests around 25 carriers fly to the island, although some of these are only on a seasonal or charter basis.
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