Vietnam Airlines (VN, Hanoi Noi Bai International) is considering ordering fifty B737 MAX, according to the US-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed during a leaders' meeting in Hanoi.
A White House press release said the carrier and Boeing "will sign" an order. However, official photos of the event indicate that Vietnam Airlines has only accepted Boeing's MAX 8 proposal and is uncommitted to an order given financing has yet to be settled.
Tran Thanh Hien - finance director of Vietnam Airlines - told local media that the B737 MAX - said to be B737-8s at this stage - would be due from 2027 to 2030. Thus, there are still four years left to prepare the necessary conditions for the receipt of the aircraft, including capital mobilization. Vietnam Airlines and Boeing will now discuss funding options suitable to the airline's capacity and ensure the feasibility of the project.
"Vietnam Airlines is completely confident in balancing part of the capital for this project through the overall restructuring process of the airline and the recovery of the aviation market. Vietnam Airlines hopes to receive financial support from Boeing, the US Government [likely EXIM Bank (United States of America)] and financial institutions for the project," Hien said.
The majority state-owned carrier does not and has never operated narrowbody Boeing aircraft. Its single-aisle fleet comprises forty-eight A321-200s and twenty A321-200Ns, according to the ch-aviation fleets module. However, Vietnam Airlines has been a widebody Boeing operator since the early 1990s, when it started adding B767-300ERs. It currently operates eleven B787-9s and four B787-10s, with four more due.
Rival low-cost carrier VietJetAir (VJ, Hanoi Noi Bai International) has a firm order for 200 B737 MAX, including 100 B737-8s and 100 B737-8-200s, although none of them has been delivered yet.
