According to Airbus, Vietnamese carrier Vietjet has announced that they will add the A321XLR to their fleet; with firm orders for 15 aircraft and the conversion of five A321neo aircraft from their existing backlog. The announcement was made during a visit to Airbus headquarters in Toulouse by Vietjet President & CEO, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, hosted by Airbus CEO, Guillaume Faury.
Vietjet will be among the first airlines to receive the A321XLR. The addition of the aircraft to their fleet will allow Vietjet to further expand their network; flying longer routes across Asia, as well as to destinations as far afield as Australia and Russia. The carrier expects international routes to contribute 60% of their revenue by 2020.
Vietjet has always been a pioneer in operating new, modern, advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft. We are proud of operating one of the world’s youngest Airbus fleets with an average age of only 2.7 years and this has contributed greatly to Vietjet’s success over the past years. Following the signing of this contract, the new A321XLR will be the perfect upgrade to Vietjet’s fleet as we look to grow our international flight network.
Vietjet President & CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao
Vietjet is one of the fastest growing carriers in the Asian region and we feel proud to have the A321XLR joining its fleet. This order is another strong endorsement of our decision to bring true long range capability to the singe-aisle market with the A321XLR, enabling airlines to extend their networks at the lowest possible cost. Furthermore, we are also pleased to develop further our collaboration with Vietjet in the area of training.
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury
During the visit, the airline also signed a new training agreement with Airbus Services. This will see Airbus position two new A320 Family full flight simulators at the carrier’s training center in Ho Chi Minh City.
About Vietjet
Including today’s announcement, Vietjet has now ordered a total of 186 A320 Family aircraft; of which 60 have been delivered (including 12 A321neo). The airline’s outstanding Airbus backlog is entirely composed of A321neo aircraft.
In February, Vietjet placed an order for 200 Boeing B737MAX aircraft; including 100 of the -200 version of the aircraft. As the Boeing B737MAX is currently grounded, deliveries of the aircraft have been placed on hold for a long time. As the country’s largest privately-owned airline, Vietjet said they would rely more on Airbus while waiting on Boeing to resolve the Max crisis.
About Airbus A321XLR
The A321XLR is the next evolutionary step from the A321LR ,which is in response to market needs for even more range and payload; creating more value for the airlines. The aircraft will deliver an unprecedented extra long range of up to 4,700nm – with 30% lower fuel consumption per seat, compared with previous-generation competitor jets. At the end of September 2019, the A320neo Family had received more than 6,650 firm orders from nearly 110 customers worldwide.
