New age-carrier Vietjet and aircraft manufacturer Airbus signed a contract for 20 brand-new A321XLR aircraft on 31 October 2019. The deal took place in Toulouse (France) and will make Vietjet one of the first carriers in the world to operate Airbus’ newest “extra-long-range” model.

The first A321XLRs are expected to be delivered in 2023 and will serve Vietjet’s international flight network expansion plans in the near future as new additions to its modern fleet.

 The two parties also signed an agreement for two additional A320 and A321 aircraft Simulators (SIM) for pilot and technician training, increasing the number of Airbus SIMs to three SIMs at the Vietjet Aviation Academy.

 Vietjet President & CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao and Airbus Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Faury co-signed the contract during an official visit by Mrs. Thao and Vietjet’s leaders to Europe.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Airbus Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Faury said, “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.”

 Vietjet President and CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao said, “Vietjet has always been a pioneer for operating new, modern, advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft. We are proud to be operating the world’s youngest Airbus fleet with an average age of only 2.7 years, which has contributed greatly to Vietjet’s success over the past years. Following the signing of this contract today, the new A321XLR will be the perfect upgrade to comprehensively modernise Vietjet’s fleet as we look to strongly grow international flight network. It’s exciting to know that our passengers will soon enjoy flying on our comfortable, modern and cost-saving mid-haul flights.”

 With this latest deal, Vietjet’s total order with Airbus reaches 186 aircrafts, with the first A321XLRs to be delivered from 2023.

As part of the deals for the new aircraft and SIMs, Airbus Services also provides state-of-the-art training solutions to ensure safe, reliable and economically efficient operations on all Airbus aircrafts throughout their lifecycle. The aircraft manufacturer is also available to offer support with a comprehensive and tailored training portfolio, designed and developed by Airbus for Vietjet’s pilots, cadets, cabin crews, performance and operations engineers, maintenance personnel and structure and repair specialists.