VietJet Confirms Big Airbus A330neo Order

VietJet has confirmed it will order the Airbus A330neo to modernise its fleet and boost widebody flying to markets around the world.

The deal, which was announced in February 2024, was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the vision of eventually firming this up.

A firm order for the A330neo includes 20 units, all for the A330-900. These will play an important role in growing and replacing existing Airbus A330s that are part of the old-gen and current engine options.

The Vietnamese low-cost unit has now taken the 2024 Farnborough Airshow as the prime opportunity to firm the deal and wholly commit to the next-gen widebody.

Interestingly, however, the initial MoU was also signed at another noteworthy trade event, the 2024 Singapore Airshow, where attention turned to the Asian part of the industry.

For VietJet, the firming of the A330neo deal is crucial as it represents their first widebody order ever placed and a genuine bid to grow their network long into the future with this addition.

While international markets will benefit from the addition of the A330neo in the future, VietJet doesn’t believe this sector will be the only one to see the positive repercussions of a new aircraft.

In a press release, the airline stated that the aircraft would also be deployed across regional services that require a higher-capacity plane that would bring truckloads of efficiency.

Ultimately, this added efficiency will enable better economics and, thus, financial performance across the business while helping to meet sustainability goals. These factors, among many others, are core reasons why airlines look to purchase new aircraft such as the A330neo for their fleets.

VietJet is entangled in modernising its fleet, and the A330neo is seen as just one part of a lengthy jigsaw puzzle that includes other Airbus next-gen types. Once all these aircraft are delivered and operational, the airline believes the benefits will be clear, and its role within the Vietnamese sector and broader markets will undoubtedly be felt.

The firming of the Airbus A330neo order is another solid step in the right direction for the widebody programme, which has, at times, lagged behind expectations. That said, however, it does reaffirm the stance that the A330-900 remains the sole variant carrying the bulk load of orders, with the more modest -800 missing.