Vietjet and Airbus have confirmed that the airline has ordered another 20 A330-900 aircraft, doubling its already existing backlog for the widebody aircraft that the Vietnamese carrier initially ordered in February 2024, which was firmed up during the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2024.
Stock Code
AIR
Business Type
Planemaker
Date Founded
December 18, 1970
CEO
Guillaume Faury
The airline currently has seven A330-300 aircraft in its fleet, which it uses to fly to destinations across Asia-Pacific, with the order supporting Vietjet’s international route network expansion, including potential flights to Europe.
In The Presence Of Presidents
Photo: Vietjet
On May 26, Airbus and Vietjet
announced that the Vietnamese low-cost carrier ordered another 20 A330-900 aircraft, essentially doubling its backlog for the aircraft. Previously, Vietjet signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for 20 A330-900 in February 2024, firming up that order in July 2024.
Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, the Chairwoman of Vietjet, and Wouter van Wersch, the President of Airbus International, signed the agreement in Hanoi, Vietnam, with the event being attended by Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, and Luong Cuong, the President of Vietnam.
Macron has been on a tour of Southeast Asian countries, with the French president planning to visit Indonesia and Singapore following his visit to Vietnam. In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Macron said the major challenges related to the climate, economy, and geopolitical changes can only be met in cooperation with France’s partners.
“This is why France is present and acting with its partners, through very concrete projects which benefit the region, our businesses, and our common future.”
International Expansion
Photo: Phung Quang Minh | Shutterstock
According to Airbus, Vietjet’s long-term order will support the airline’s ongoing international network expansion, enabling the carrier to increase flights on its high-capacity routes across Asia-Pacific and potentially introduce new services to Europe.
Speaking about the order, Thao, the Chairwoman of Vietjet, said that modern Airbus aircraft have accompanied the airline’s growth and will continue supporting its global flight network expansion. Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, the Executive Vice President of Commercial Aircraft Sales at Airbus, added that Vietjet has been one of the fastest-growing airlines in the world.
“We are proud that the carrier has selected the A330neo as its widebody aircraft of choice to build on its success, and we look forward to continuing our partnership as Vietjet expands its reach,” Saint-Exupéry added. Airbus pointed out that Vietjet now has 40 A330-900
and 96 A320neo family aircraft in its backlog.
Ch-aviation records showed that Vietjet and Thai Vietjet have 98 and 18 aircraft in their fleets, respectively, with the two airlines having 29 A320ceo, 42 A321ceo, 36 A321neo,
seven A330-300, and two COMAC C909 aircraft, the latter on a wet lease from Chengdu Airlines. In addition to its Airbus orders, the low-cost carrier is awaiting 200 Boeing 737 MAX 8
deliveries, including 100 of the higher-capacity variant, the 737 MAX 8-200.
Related
Why VietJet Air Is Leasing 2 COMAC C909s
Vietjet is operating two wet leased C909s from China to service its Con Dao Islands after failing to secure E190s in time.
Vietjet’s Current A330 Network
Photo: Phung Quang Minh | Shutterstock
Meanwhile, data from the aviation analytics company Cirium’s Diio Mi airline planning tool showed that in May, Vietjet has scheduled 74 weekly departures from Vietnam with its A330-300s, including two domestic routes from Cam Ranh International Airport (CXR) to Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) and from Da Nang International Airport (DAD) to Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN).
Other routes include flights from Hanoi to Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), Ho Chi Minh City, Melbourne Airport
(MEL), and Sydney Airport (SYD), and from Ho Chi Minh City to Brisbane Airport (BNE), Delhi, Hanoi, Melbourne, Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM), and Sydney.
Photo: Great Circle Map
However, Vietjet has been embroiled in a legal battle against FitzWalter Capital, a United Kingdom-based private investment firm. After the UK courts ruled that the Vietnamese carrier had to pay its $181.5 million debt to FitzWalter Capital, the airline said that the ruling could endanger its ability to operate as a going concern, according to Bloomberg. Vietjet’s audited financial statements indicated that as of December 31, 2024, it had VND 4.5 trillion ($175.8 million) of cash and cash equivalents.
