Key insights
- Vietjet Air's receipt of its first A330neo for European expansion signals increased competition in the airline industry. The airline's reliance on Chinese-made COMAC aircraft and leasing agreements with Chinese firms like SPDB Financial Leasing highlights growing Chinese influence in the aviation sector. This could indirectly impact Boeing and Airbus's market share in the long run, creating a slightly bearish signal for US-based Boeing.
Investing.com -- Vietjet Air will receive its first A330neo aircraft from an order placed last year as the Vietnamese budget carrier prepares to launch direct flights to Europe, board member Philipp Rosler said Friday.
The airline ordered 20 A330neo aircraft last year during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Vietnam.
Vietjet is planning to launch direct flights to Europe, with the Czech Republic, Germany, Britain, and France identified as potential destinations, Rosler told Reuters. The launch depends on the delivery of wide-body aircraft capable of long-haul flights, with delivery timelines determined by Airbus.
The carrier also aims to help develop Ho Chi Minh City into an Asia-Pacific aviation finance hub, bringing aircraft financing, leasing, insurance, and capital markets activities closer to the region’s fast-growing aviation markets, rather than relying on European centers such as Ireland, Rosler said.
Last month, Vietjet adjusted its flight schedule due to potential fuel shortages, but Rosler said the carrier’s operations remained normal.
Two COMAC aircraft previously leased by Vietjet for flights to tourist island Con Dao are no longer operating on its network, Rosler said. The carrier will continue to deploy the Chinese-made aircraft, particularly on routes to China.
In April, Vietjet signed a financial lease agreement for 10 COMAC C909 narrow body aircraft with China’s SPDB Financial Leasing.
Vietjet currently operates a fleet of about 135 aircraft, mostly from Airbus, and has orders for around 600 planes from Airbus and Boeing, to be delivered over several years.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.