A budget airline company from Vietnam recently received flack for welcoming the local national soccer team with a risqué in-flight performance by their bikini-clad flight attendants.
Vietnam’s under-23 men’s soccer team, which suffered a loss against Uzbekistan in an Asian tournament, was returning from China when they were welcomed with the sexually suggestive performance inside the plane.
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The team was celebrated as heroes back home despite the loss, which is why many Vietnamese netizens found it inappropriate to involve the young players in the “performance” itself.
In her post, she also explained that the show was not intended as a company publicity stunt, but rather “an improvised performance by the logistics team that was not part of the company’s program.”
Model and DJ Lai Thanh Huong also apologized for participating in the show, but claims Vietjet representatives instructed her to take pictures with the athletes.
Netizens were enraged and many vowed to boycott the airline after viewing the now-viral images of the players looking awkward as the sexy bikini-wearing flight attendants interacted with them.
“Do you want to rename Vietjet ‘Vietjerk’, or ‘Vietsex?'” one Facebook user remarked.“Vietjet’s move was so rude, cheap, and offensive to the team, the fans and even its passengers,” another commented.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) hit Vietjet with a fine of 40 million Vietnamese dong ($1,761) for the stunt. The plane’s chief flight attendant was also asked to pay 4 million dong ($176). “Despite the fact the Vietjet event didn’t jeopardize the safety of the flight, it could still have posed a safety risk,” the local aviation agency said in a statement.