In December 2011, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao launched Vietnam’s first budget airline, betting that she could disrupt an industry dominated by a nationally owned carrier. Just five years later, VietJet Air, which went public last month, operates more than 40% of the country’s flights and boasts $1.2 billion in revenues. VietJet’s success has made Nguyen, its CEO, Southeast Asia’s only woman billionaire, and one of just two billionaires in Vietnam. “I have always aimed big and done big deals,” Nguyen told FORBES Vietnam. The airline now offers 300 flights a day, including 63 local routes and dozens of international ones, and operates 45 jets.

Source: Forbes March 08, 2017 14:01 UTC