Leadership of Vietjet and Boeing sign the agreement at Farnborough Airshow. — Photo courtesy of Vietjet
Vietjet and Boeing have reached an agreement to reaffirm the previously announced order for 200 737 MAX aircraft during 2022 Farnborough International AirShow.
Accordingly, both sides will execute a flexible aircraft delivery schedule to support Vietjet’s growth plans as traffic across the world continues to recover. The first 50 aircraft will be delivered to Thai Vietjet, the affiliate company of Vietjet in Thailand.
As part of the agreement, Boeing is committed to supporting Vietjet with technical services, training, technology transfer, research & development (R&D), to ensure lasting and sustainable growth with the highest levels of efficiency, reliability and affordability.
"The 737 Max, with its efficiency, flexibility, and capability, will support Vietjet’s goal to grow its route network in Asia and beyond,” said John Bruns, Vice President, India & Southeast Asia Sales & Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Vietjet Managing Director Dinh Viet Phuong described the agreement as a milestone in the long-standing and trustful relation between Vietjet and Boeing as well as the Viet Nam-US trade relation.
"Taking into account of the recent aviation infrastructure contraints in Viet Nam, the first 50 aircraft will be delivered to Thai Vietjet, embedded with Vietjet’s signature livery. These Boeing aircraft will soon take off to Thai sky with investment from international finance resources,” he said.
Vietjet and Boeing earlier signed order deals totaling 200 B737 Max with a maintenance and technical support package. The first order for 100 B737 Max was announced in 2016, being a remarkable deal for one of the most modern aircaft models at the time. In 2019, both parties increased the total order to 200 aircraft, making the order a record for Boeing.
The agreement of 200 aircraft delivery has been interrupted because of the 737 Max’s suspension and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Boeing's global supply chain. Vietjet’s operations, therefore, have been affected. Despite the challenges, the carrier has weathered through the storms, maintaining excellent operation and finance capability and will continue to grow in the coming time.
The biennial UK-based Farnborough International Airshow is one of the world’s biggest aerospace events. The 2022 show takes place during July 18-22, with more than 1,500 exhibitors and 80,000 visitors expected to gather, those of aircraft manufacturers, aircraft finance institutions, spare part and MROs providers, airlines among other industry players. — VNS