Vietnam Airlines to finalise order for 50 Boeing 737 MAX jets very soon, executive says
FILE PHOTO: The Boeing 737 MAX aircraft is displayed at the Farnborough International Airshow, in Farnborough, Britain, July 20, 2022. - Reuters
NEW DELHI: Flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will "very soon" finalise a provisional order for 50 Boeing 737 MAX jets that it made in 2023, a company executive told Reuters on Monday (June 2).
The carrier will need up to 100 new narrow-body aircraft by 2035 to expand operations and replace existing aircraft, the executive said, declining to be named as they were not authorised to speak with media.
Export-dependent Vietnam is under pressure from Washington to buy more American goods to avert tariffs.
The carrier signed an initial agreement with US planemaker Boeing in 2023 for 50 of the firm's single-aisle 737 MAX aircraft, but has not yet finalised the deal.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In April, Vietnam Airlines signed a memorandum of understanding with the country's top lender Vietcombank for funding to purchase 50 narrow-body planes, without naming the manufacturer.
The executive said Vietnam Airlines would be open to ordering Airbus aircraft if it could secure delivery slots with the planemaker, which has previously said its single-aisle jets are sold out through the rest of the decade.- Reuters
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