Vietnam Airlines has purchased two new Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners to increase its fleet to 100.

Boeing’s new model is the largest passenger aircraft operating in Viet Nam to date.

The first two Dreamliners have completed nearly 140 flights since their handover in August, safely transporting 83,000 passengers between Ha Noi and HCM City, and Viet Nam and S Korea.

Vietnam Airlines Chairman Pham Ngoc Minh said the 100th aircraft marked an important milestone in the development of Vietnam Airlines as the leading and largest airline in the country as well as an emerging player in the region.

The airline runs the second-largest fleet of wide-body Airbus 350 and Boeing 787-9 in Southeast Asia, and one of the largest in Asia-Pacific region.

The airline has been striving to improve safety, service quality and efficiency. Vietnam Airlines has been certified with a 4-star rating by prestigious international air transport rating organisation Skytrax for four years in a row.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, who attended the ceremony, urged the airline to continue modernising its fleet and adopt the latest aviation technology.

While new and modern aircraft would drive the growth of the airline, the deputy PM said it must make investments to improve infrastructure, human resources and operational efficiency to achieve sustainable development.

“Viet Nam’s airline industry has entered a period of rapid growth. To meet the immediate target of serving 17-20 million international and more than 82 domestic passengers by 2020, the country has high expectations of its airlines, especially Vietnam Airlines as the country’s flag carrier,” Binh said.

He urged Vietnam Airlines to work closely with leading aviation companies such as Airbus and Boeing to stay up-to-date with the latest technology and solutions in the global aviation industry. — VNS