Vietjet has placed an order with Airbus for 20 A330neo aircraft, in a move which is aimed at supporting the airline's expansion over the next decade.
The deal was made during French President Emmanuel Macron's official visit to Vietnam, with the agreement signed in Hanoi by Vietjet chairwoman Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao and Wouter van Wersch, president of Airbus International.
Airline Economics first reported in April that Vietjet was considering placing an aircraft order with Airbus, with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) expected to be signed in May – coinciding with Macron’s planned visit to the country, citing a person familiar with the matter.
France signed €9bn ($10.2bn) worth of contracts with Vietnam during Macron's visit.
This new contract with Vietjet doubles its firm orders for the A330neo to 40 aircraft. In addition, the carrier has 96 A320neo family aircraft on order.
“Modern Airbus aircraft, with the latest levels of efficiency and lower fuel consumption, have accompanied Vietjet’s growth and will continue to support our global flight network expansion,” commented Nguyen.
In addition to orders from Airbus, Vietjet said in April that it will begin taking delivery this year of the first batch of 737 MAX aircraft from its order of 200 aircraft. The deal – valued at over $24bn – was first signed in 2016 and then revised in 2019. The airline said it is currently in discussions with Boeing to further expand this 737 MAX order.
The airline currently operates an all-Airbus fleet comprising 115 single aisle A320 Family aircraft and seven A330-300s. Vietjet expects to receive nearly 300 aircraft between 2025 and 2027.