Vietnamese carrier Vietjet Air, which currently operates an all-Airbus fleet, will start taking delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max aircraft beginning in 2024.
During US President Joe Biden’s state visit to Vietnam this week, Vietjet signed an aircraft finance agreement worth US$550 million with Carlyle Aviation Partners, a US-based aviation finance and asset management company.
Vietjet said that up to 12 737 Max aircraft would be delivered in 2024, with the “first batch” going to Thailand-based sister carrier Thai Vietjet.
Vietjet originally ordered its first 737 Max aircraft in 2016 during a state visit when Barack Obama was still US President, although until now the airline has continued operating Airbus aircraft, including more recently widebody A330-300 aircraft for flights to Australia and Japan.
In recent months, Vietjet launched several new international routes, including to Australia, Indonesia, and India, bringing its total number of routes to more than 120.
Some of the carrier’s most recent route additions include flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Kochi; as well as Ho Chi Minh City – Jakarta; and Ho Chi Minh City – Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
