Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao (middle, right), chairwoman of Vietjet, and Christian Scherer (middle, left), … [+]
Courtesy of AirbusVietjet, controlled by Vietnamese billionaire Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, has signed a contract to purchase 20 long range A330neo widebody jets from Airbus for $7.4 billion as the airline seeks to expand into intercontinental routes.
“The new A330neo aircraft strategically enhance Vietjet’s fleet development, boosting the airline’s operational capacity to support its global expansion,” Thao, chairwoman of VietJet, said in a statement. The new aircraft will be used to expand Vietjet’s long-haul services as well as serve high-demand routes in Asia.
Capable of flying 13,300 kilometers non-stop, the Airbus A330neo can help Vietjet achieve its goal of expanding its long-haul routes. The new aircraft will replace Vietjet’s existing fleet of leased A330-300 jets. It currently operates over 100 aircraft.
Vietjet, Vietnam’s only privately owned airline, has been expanding its fleet to cope with the post-pandemic travel boom. Last year, Vietjet finalized a deal to order 200 737 MAX jets from Boeing worth about $25 million for delivery in the next five years, with 12 of the planes expected to be delivered this year.
Vietjet carried 25.3 million passengers last year, a 23% increase from the year before. Driven by surging demand, the airline recorded a revenue of 53.6 trillion Vietnamese dong (approximately $2.1 billion) in the same period, a 62% jump from 2021. This year, it expects to transport 27 million passengers.
Thao has a net worth of $2.8 billion, according to Forbes real-time data. In 2011, she founded the airline that generated publicity with its provocative advertisements showcasing flight attendants in bikinis. She listed the airline in 2017, raising $170 million through its initial public offering on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange.
Vietjet orders 20 A330neo jets to expand in long-haul routes.
Courtesy of AirbusSource link