Vietjet inks deal with Airbus to order 20 latest-generation A321XLR aircraft

New age-carrier Vietjet and aircraft manufacturer Airbus on October 31 signed a contract for 20 brand-new A321XLR aircraft. The deal in Toulouse (France) will make Vietjet one of the first carriers in the world to operate Airbus’s newest "extra-long-range" version when the first of the aircraft are delivered in 2023.

Vietjet President & CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao and Airbus Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Faury co-sign the important contract during the official visit of Vietjet’s top leaders to Europe. (Photo: NDO/Khai Hoan)
Vietjet President & CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao and Airbus Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Faury co-sign the important contract during the official visit of Vietjet’s top leaders to Europe. (Photo: NDO/Khai Hoan)

With a range of up to 8,700km, the innovative model will serve Vietjet’s fleet modernisation and international flight network expansion plans in the near future.

On this occasion, in the presence of Vietnamese Ambassador to France Nguyen Thiep, the two parties also signed an agreement for two additional A320/A321 aircraft Simulators (SIM) for pilot and technician training, increasing the manufacturer’s investment to Vietjet Aviation Academy to three SIMs, helping increase the capacity for training at the Vietjet facility.

Speaking at the contract 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 CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao said: “Vietjet has always been a pioneer for operating new, modern, advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft. We are proud of 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 our international flight network. It’s exciting to know that our passengers will soon be enjoying flying on our comfortable, modern and cost-saving mid-haul flights.”

The next evolutionary step on from the A321LR, the A321XLR model responds to market needs for even more range and payload, creating more value for the airlines. From 2023, the aircraft will deliver an unprecedented Xtra Long Range of up to 4,700nm (8,704 km) – 15 percent more than the A321LR – and with 30 percent lower fuel burn’t per seat compared with previous-generation aircraft.

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 on-hand to offer support every step of the way with a comprehensive and tailored training portfolio designed and developed by Airbus for Vietjet’s pilots, cadets, cabin crews, performance & operations engineers, maintenance personnel and structure and repair specialists.

With this latest contract, Vietjet’s total order with Airbus will reach 186 aircraft, including the first A321XLRs to be delivered to the airline from 2023. The newly-signed agreements with Airbus will serve Vietjet's target in opening direct flights Australia and Eastern European countries in a near future.