Vietnamese carrier Vietjet has placed a firm order with Airbus for an additional 50 A321neo single aisle aircraft, finalising an MOU signed at the Farnborough International Airshow last July. The purchase agreement was signed in Hanoi today by Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Vietjet President and CEO and Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer.
The signing was witnessed by Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Vietnam and Edouard Philippe, Prime Minister of France, during his official visit to Vietnam.
“The fuel efficient A321neo will enable us to increase capacity and help us to expand the network significantly, especially on international routes,” said Vietjet’s President & CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao. “We are honoured to be a long-term partner of Vietjet and to finalise this new order,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer. “The airline’s latest preference for the Airbus product, in particular the A321, is a testimony to Vietjet’s professionalism and a great endorsement for the A321 in the highly competitive market.”
The new purchase agreement increases the number of A320 Family aircraft ordered by Vietjet to 171, of which 46 have already been delivered. This leaves the airline with a backlog of 125 aircraft on order with Airbus for future delivery, comprising 120 A321neo and five A321ceo.
The A321neo is the largest member of the best-selling Airbus single aisle family and is firmly established as the most popular aircraft in its size category, seating up to 240 passengers in a single class layout. It also offers the longest range in its category, flying up to 4,000 nautical miles non-stop. Incorporating the latest engines, aerodynamic advances and cabin innovations, the A321neo offers a reduction in fuel consumption of at least 15 per cent per seat.
To date, the A320 Family has won more than 14,700 orders and over 8,000 aircraft are currently in service with 334 operators worldwide.
