Viet
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2012
- Messages
- 29,950
- Reaction score
- 0
- Country
- Location
Vietnamese low-cost carrier Vietjet has placed a firm order for 20 Airbus A321XLRs, making it among the first airlines to operate the type when it enters service in 2023.
by Matt Thurber
Nov 1, 2019
Airbus said the deal includes the conversion of five A321neos from an existing backlog, comprising solely A321neos. The latest deal, worth $2.8 billion at list prices, bumps Vietjet’s order with Airbus to 186 aircraft, of which 60 have been delivered.
Unveiled at the Paris Air Show, the long-range A321XLR boasts a range of 4,700 nm (in a two-class configuration seating 180 to 220 passengers), up from the A321LR's 4,000 nm. According to Vietjet president and CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, the new airplanes would be used to modernize the carrier’s fleet as it seeks to expand its international network across Asia and to farther destinations in Australia and Russia. The airline did not disclose which engines would power the new aircraft on order.
The same day also saw Vietjet ink a training agreement for an additional two A320/A321 flight simulators to be placed at its aviation academy in Ho Chi Minh City. Airbus said it will provide a “comprehensive and tailored training portfolio” for VietJet’s flight crew and maintenance personnel.
In a separate development, newly established Bamboo Airways is expected to take delivery of its first A320neo this month, as part of a purchase order for 24 of the type, inked last year in an agreement with Airbus. In mid-October, the carrier took delivery of its first two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners from GE Capital Aviation Services, boosting its fleet to 12 aircraft. The airline said it intends to expand its fleet to 30 aircraft by the first quarter of 2020 and 100 by 2024. Plans call for a mixed fleet of 787-9 and narrowbody Airbus A321s.
The new orders and deliveries come after Boeing officials met with Vietnamese regulators last week to discuss the industry’s growth prospects. According to Darren Hulst, Boeing’s managing director of market analysis and sales support, Vietnam’s fleet is expected to quadruple in size to 4,500 new aircraft in the period from now until 2038, with single-aisle aircraft playing a "key role" on domestic and regional routes. The demand for commercial aviation services is forecast to be worth $785 billion over the same period, he added.
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-.../vietjet-cements-order-20-airbus-a321xlrs?amp
