Ho Chi Minh City - VietJet Air, a budget Vietnamese airline, was fined for entertaining passengers with a "Hawaiian Dance Performance" featuring beautiful bikini-clad girls and allowing passengers to use video cameras to record the show.
The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) inflicted a fine of VND 20 million (Vietnamese Dong) to VietJet Air (VJA) for organizing a bikini show on its Ho Chi Minh City - Nha Trang flight on August 3. At the current exchange rate the fine is equivalent to about US$950.
The CAAV decided to impose the fine to VietJet because the bikini show "had not been approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, and thus breached aviation safety and security regulations.", according to News24. Furthermore, the airline allowed passengers to use their cell phones and video cameras to record the show. According to CAAV, the use of electronic equipment during the flight breaches aviation safety regulations, reports Ninemsn.com.
The airline is known for having their flight attendants entertain passengers with dancing and singing routines and distributing gifts (video below). In this occasion, however, the young girls participating in the show, called "Hawaiian Dance Performance" were not part of the crew but contestants for "Miss Ngoi Sao", a beauty pageant organized by Ngoi Sao online newspaper.
The show started after the plane had reached cruising altitude and lasted about three minutes, but many passengers will treasure the memories of their 50-minute flight from Ho Chi Minh City to the coastal resort of Nha Trang for a long time. Nha Trang is one of the country's most popular holiday destinations.