During a visit by the President of the United States, Joe Biden, to Vietnam, a purchase commitment was signed this Monday for 50 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft by Vietnam Airlines, representing a significant shift in the narrow-body fleet strategy of the company, which until now consisted solely of Airbus A321 aircraft.
«In line with Vietnam Airlines’ 2025-2030 fleet strategy and a vision to 2035, aircraft investment is a crucial project that underpins positive recovery momentum and prosperous outlook for the airline», said Dang Ngoc Hoa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietnam Airlines.
«The new narrow-body fleet will allow us to foster our overall development and extend our high-quality service on Vietnam Airlines’ domestic and Asian routes, as well as modernize our fuel-efficient fleet», he added.
Meanwhile, Brad McMullen, Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales & Marketing at Boeing, highlighted the importance of selecting the 737 MAX in one of the fastest-growing markets in the world like Southeast Asia. «We value our historic partnership with Vietnam Airlines, dating back to 1995 when the airline first leased 767s».
Of the 50 Boeing 737 MAX, half would be to replace the older A321 aircraft, and the rest to expand the company’s capacity.
Vietnam Airlines’ current Boeing fleet consists of 11 787-9 aircraft and 4 787-10s, with three more of the 787-9 variant pending delivery.
In the narrow-body segment, Vietnam Airlines operates 48 Airbus A321s with an average age of 11 years (the oldest nearing 17 years) and 20 A321neos with an average age of 4.3 years, according to data obtained by Aviacionline through Cirium Fleet Analyzer. The airline also has aircraft from the European manufacturer in the wide-body segment: 14 Airbus A350-900 with an average age of 6.3 years.
During the state visit, authorities from Vietnam and the United States also agreed to advance an amendment to the bilateral agreement between the United States and Vietnam under the Open Skies principles.
Currently, Vietnam Airlines operates four weekly flights between Ho Chi Minh City and San Francisco using Airbus A350-900 aircraft.
