National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and the Vietnam Aircraft Leasing Company (VALC) December 21 signed a contract with French aircraft maker, Airbus, to buy 30 A350XWBs and A321s.
The deal with Airbus, worth US$3.8 billion at list prices, is seen as the biggest of its kind in Vietnam aviation sector and is based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed in October 2007 on the occasion of visiting Paris by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
Of the fleet, Vietnam Airlines ordered ten A390-900 XWB and ten A321s while VALC buying ten A321s. The first one is set to be delivered in 2016.
Vietnam Airlines is now operating ten A320s, 11 A321 and three A330 on both outbound and inbound routes. It is waiting for four more A321s in coming years.
The carrier December 6 signed a contract with French aircraft manufacturer, ATR, to buy five ATR72-500 aircrafts, in its plan to expand fleet and operations. However, total contract value has not been made available.
Vietnam Airlines and VALC November 16 this year signed a contract worth US$1.9 billion with Boeing Co in Hanoi to buy 12 latest B787s.
By 2015, Vietnam Airlines is expected to operate a total number of 86 aircraft with its fleet expanding to 110 aircraft in 2020.
By modernizing its fleet with new technology and operational cost efficiency and increasing together its service quality, Vietnam Airlines expected to expand its routes and improve its competitiveness in both regional and international markets.
Vietnam Airlines intends to further develop and expand its routes to Europe.
In late 2008 the carrier will also launch its direct services between Ho Chi Minh City and Los Angeles with 5 flights per week using the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft.
Boasting 47 aircraft, including ten Boeing 777s, ten Airbus A320, eleven A321 and four A330, Vietnam Airlines currently operates direct flights to 26 major cities in Asia-Pacific and Europe. (Investment, VOV, Vietnamnet)
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