ShareLE BOURGET: Vietnamese carrier Vietjet has ordered 100 single-aisle A321neo jets from Airbus, the European plane maker said Tuesday in the latest deal announced at the Paris Air Show. The deal would be worth almost $13 billion under 2018 catalogue prices. It includes an option for Vietjet, Vietnam’s largest private airline, to buy a further 50 of the jets at a later date. “This new agreement marks a significant milestone in our strategic partnership with Airbus,” said Vietjet chairwoman Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao.
“These modern and efficient aircraft have been instrumental in Vietjet’s growth, helping us make air travel more accessible and affordable for millions, while strengthening our role as a connector for economic development, cultural exchange and global connectivity,” she added. Airbus executive vice president Benoit de Saint-Exupery noted the deal followed hot on the heels of a new order by Vietjet for 20 A330neo widebody aircraft. “Together the A321neo and A330neo will be perfect partners for Vietjet to continue to spread its wings, efficiently matching capacity more closely to demand across its network,” he said in a statement. Vietjet operates a fleet of more than 100 Airbus aircraft.
As of the end of May, more than 7,000 A321neo aircraft—the largest of Airbus’ best-selling A320neo family—have been ordered by over 90 customers worldwide, Airbus said. The Vietjet deal came a day after Airbus announced orders for a total of more than 100 planes from Saudi companies Riyadh Air and AviLease and Polish airline LOT. Those deals were worth nearly $20 billion at 2018 catalogue prices—which Airbus has since phased out, as final sale prices vary according to contract terms and the version of an aircraft. Airbus rival Boeing has meanwhile said its focus at the Paris Air Show is on “supporting customers” after the Air India crash last week.- AFP
