Vietnam Airlines Plans Big Boeing 737 MAX Order

Vietnam Airlines Eyes 170 New Jets

Vietnam Airlines, the country's national carrier, plans to issue requests for proposals (RFPs) to aircraft manufacturers in the first half of 2025 to purchase 50 narrowbody jets. CEO Le Hong Ha announced this on Wednesday, November 13, 2024. The airline had previously signed a provisional agreement with Boeing to purchase 50 737 MAX jets, but that deal has still not been finalized.

Vietnam Airlines New Order

“In Vietnam, we must go through a bidding process, so the door is still open to all,” Ha said at an Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines event in Brunei.

“Boeing is one option, and they have made us a very good offer.”

The primary contenders for this contract are Airbus and Boeing, with Airbus's A320neo family competing with Boeing's 737 MAX. Additionally, the Chinese manufacturer COMAC is working to enter the market with its C919. Currently, Vietnam Airlines operates a fleet that consists exclusively of Airbus narrowbody aircraft. According to Ha, the airline anticipates a need for 170 new aircraft by 2035. This projection indicates that they plan to triple their fleet size within the next decade nearly. China has demonstrated a growing interest in promoting its aircraft in Vietnam. Recently, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with a senior official from COMAC in China, who emphasized the market potential in Vietnam, according to reports from Vietnam’s state news agency.