Hanoi (VNA) – VietJet AviationJoint Stock Company (Vietjet Air) and the US’s Boeing Commercial Airplanes(BCA) have inked a contract worth 12.7 billion USD for 100 new 737 MAX planesaccording to list prices.
Vietjet Air President and CEO Nguyen Thi PhuongThao and BCA President and CEO Kevin McAllister signed the deal on February 27,witnessed by Party General Secretary and President of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trongand US President Donald Trump.
The signing ceremony took place on the occasionof the DPRK-USA Hanoi Summit Vietnam on February 27-28.
Kevin McAllister said the BCA is pleased toexpand its partnership with Vietjet Air and contribute to the carrier’s growth.
The new and state-of-the-art airplanes such asthe 737 MAX will help Vietjet grow more efficiently and bring great travelexperiences for its passengers.
The strong growth of Vietjet and the country’saviation sector has helped stimulate travel within Vietnam and connectingVietnam with the rest of Asia, he said, adding that Boeing is proud to supportthis economic development, which in turn supports engineering and manufacturingjobs in the US.
In 2016, Vietjet Air signed an order for 100B737 MAX planes with Boeing - the biggest commercial aircraft deal in Vietnam’saviation industry. It is now the largest B737 MAX customer in Asia.
Vietjet Air President and CEO Nguyen Thi PhuongThao said the signing of today’s deal is one of the important steps of Vietjet inits international flight network expansion plan with a higher capacity, thusoffering passengers with more exciting experiences when being able to fly tomore new international destinations.
In addition to the aircraft deal, Boeing will partnerwith Vietjet to support the airline as well as the Vietnamese aviation industryto enhance technical expertise, train pilots and technicians as well as improvemanagement capabilities.
The same day, Vietjet Air and the US’s General Electric Group signed a 5.3billion USD agreement on long-term service maintenance of LEAP-1B engine.
The agreement includes the provision of backup engines and service packages forthe new and modern aircraft that the airline had ordered.-VNA