Vietnamese airlines order 40 Airbus jets worth $6.5 billion

The widebody aircraft will allow the airline to expand its long-haul network, beginning with services between Ho Chi Minh City and Los Angeles.

The signing ceremony, conducted by Vietjet President and CEO Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo and Airbus President and CEO Fabrice Brégier, took place at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, at approximately 9:00 a.m. local time.

Airbus started operations in Vietnam in 1990 when its A320, the first aircraft manufactured in western countries, was used in the country.

The deal was signed on Tuesday (Sept 6) in the presence of French President Francois Hollande, who is now visiting the Southeast Asian country. Also in Vietnam to oversee the deals was Fabrice Brégier, president & CEO of Airbus, who said the orders “reinforce the position of the A320 as the single aisle aircraft of choice for airlines in Vietnam”. The carrier owned, by Vietnam Airlines and Qantas Airways Ltd., is already leasing 12 of the Airbus narrowbodies, the European plane maker said. Airbus said in a statement on Tuesday that the company is planning to use the additional 10 aircraft on non-stop flights to the USA west coast. “The A350 XWB has quite simply set new standards in its class, combining unbeatable operating economics with the highest levels of passenger comfort”. It is also good news for British manufacturing as A350 engines are exclusively supplied by Rolls-Royce and its wings are also produced in the UK.

On the other hand, the country’s only private airline operator Vietjet (known for its bikini clad air-hostesses) reached an agreement to purchase another 20 A321 jets for $2.4bn, which will be delivered between 2017 and 2020. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn and emissions, and significantly lower maintenance costs. Please see our terms of service for more information.