Vietjet received its newest A321 aircraft on Wednesday, featuring the official logo for the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and France.

The handover took place in the presence of Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, who made an official State visit to France, and leaders from the two countries.

The logo features the image of a Vietnamese woman wearing a non la (palm-leaf conical hat) and a red ao dai (traditional silk dress) holding hands with a French woman wearing a beret and a blue-white plaid dress.

Vietjet’s Managing Director Luu Duc Khanh said the aircraft acknowledges Vietjet’s continual efforts to introduce a vivid image of an innovative and integrated Viet Nam to the international community.

“Standing high from profoundly comprehensive collaborations among Vietjet and French partners, we will contribute more to the development of economic-cultural-trade cooperation between the two countries,” he said.

The newly added A321 aircraft is the 43th of a total 121 aircraft that Vietjet ordered from Airbus.

The new addition to Vietjet’s expanding fleet will allow the airline to pursue its strategy to improve its services and to expand operations to farther destinations in South Korea, Japan, India and Australia as well as other destinations in the Asia-Pacific region, the airline said in a statement.

Earlier on Tuesday, Vietjet also signed a comprehensive agreement with Safran-CFM on supplying 321 engines to power the airline’s 148 aircraft as well as on fleet management services, training, R&D programmes and technical management.

Safran-CFM will also help the airline develop regional-level support maintenance capabilities.

The airline also inked a finance agreement with GECAS France on purchasing and leasing six A321 Neo aircraft. — VNS