UK court freezes VietJet assets, threatening its Australian domestic launch plans

A UK High Court order has frozen VietJet’s assets after FW Aviation, a Jersey-based leasing firm controlled by FitzWalter Capital, secured judgments totaling $250 million for four Airbus A321s. The airline had resisted payments, even stopping flights to Singapore to prevent aircraft seizure, and made a $2 million partial payment in 2025. The court described VietJet’s conduct as a “risk of dissipation” of assets. VietJet is concurrently applying to Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority for an air operator’s certificate to launch domestic services as “Cherrie Air,” planning up to ten Boeing 737s on routes between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The legal setbacks are likely to complicate the approval process. The carrier already runs international flights to Ho Chi Minh City from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, and aims to start a Western Sydney-Ho Chi Minh City service in January 2027.