During the briefing held at the Singapore Airshow today, Airbus and VietJet announced the airline's plan to order 20 A330Neos. During the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, VietJet CEO Dr. Dinh Viet Phuong highlighted that this acquisition of the new A330Neos marks the airline's inaugural order for widebody aircraft with Airbus. Dr Phuong mentioned the MOU as a strategic addition to comprehensively modernise Vietjet's fleet, enhancing operational capabilities to support their global flight network expansion plan. This move is aimed at replacing their existing leased Airbus A330-300s, thereby providing VietJet with a foundation to extend its network.
The introduction of the new A330Neos is poised to enable VietJet to potentially extend its operations towards Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States, territories previously beyond the airline's reach. With enhancements over earlier generations of similar models, the aircraft promises significant fuel savings, improved operational efficiency, and a heightened level of sustainability for VietJet. Mr. Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP Sales, Commercial Aircraft, reiterated Airbus's unwavering support for VietJet and confirmed that the initial deliveries of the new A330Neos are slated for sometime in 2026.
Along with VietJet's order of 15 Airbus A321XLRs in 2019, the A330Neo will complement the efficient narrowbody aircraft, enabling the airline to achieve the lowest possible operating cost per seat and to allow the airline to reach more far flung destinations beyond the shores of Vietnam.